"  HARPER'S  ROUND  TABLE"  LIBRARY 

TRACK     ATHLETICS 

IN    DETAIL 


COMPILED   BY   THE 

EDITOR    OF    "  INTERSCHOLASTIC    SPORT" 
IN 

"HARPER'S  ROUND  TABLE" 

Illustrated  from 
Instantaneous  Photographs 


NEW   YORK 
HARPER  &  BROTHERS  PUBLISHERS 


V- 


Copyright,  1896,  by  HARPER' &  BRtxfcE] 

PRINTED   IN   THE   UNITED   STATES   OF  AMERI 

H-N 


CONTENTS 

PAGE 

INTRODUCTION v 

TRACK  EVENTS: 

THE  SPRINTS 3 

THE  MIDDLE  DISTANCES 13 

THE  MILE  RUN 22 

THE  HURDLES '...-...  28 

THE  MILE  WALK 41 

FIELD  EVENTS: 

THE   RUNNING   HIGH   JUMP 49 

THE   RUNNING   BROAD   JUMP.      . 64 

THROWING   THE   HAMMER      .      .      .....      .  72 

PUTTING   THE   SHOT 80 

THE   POLE   VAULT .     .:r  .     .  87 

BICYCLING  : 

BICYCLING   FOR   MEN IOI 

BICYCLING   FOR   WOMEN 113 

THE   CARE   OF  A   WHEEL 122 

APPENDIX  : 
EXTRACTS  FROM  THE  ATHLETIC  RULES  OF  THE 

AMATEUR  ATHLETIC  UNION 139 

INTERCOLLEGIATE  RECORDS 

BEST  AMERICAN  AMATEUR  RECORDS 

INTERSCHOLASTIC  RECORDS 147 


INTRODUCTION 


IN  the  following  descriptions  of  track  and  field 
sports  it  has  been  assumed  that  the  reader  is  more 
or  less  familiar  with  the  subjects  treated,  and  cog- 

nizant of  the  minor  technicalities  of^athletic  work 

~TVV  ^d      ^ 
and  phraseology.     These  papers  are  not  intended 

to  convey  information  to  the  layman  of  sport,  but 
rather  to  aid  and  instruct  the  young  athlete  who 
is  so  situated  that  he  cannot  secure  the  personal 
training  and  instruction  available  to  those  who  live 
in  large  cities,  or  who  attend  schools  and  colleges 
where  physical  instruction  forms  part  of  the  reg- 
ular work. 

A  majority  of  the  illustrations  are  direct  repro- 
ductions from  photographs  taken  of  the  best  and 
most  experienced  exponents  of  each  special  event* 
and  the  a^omaflrrr~text  tras~m  most  cases-beea. 


by   the.  a.thlp,tfiS  rpprp<;pr)fpd        In  this  way 

there  is  offered  to  the  reader  the  clearest  possible 
explanation  and  description  that  can  be  obtained 
of  the  standard  athletic  events,  and  every  one  who 
follows  the  directions  and  suggestions  offered  may 


VI  INTRODUCTION 

feel  confident  that  he  is  working  along  the  right 
track,  and  that  when  he  eventually  secures  the 
assistance  of  a  trainer  he  will  not  find  it  necessary 
to  start  again  at  the  beginning  and  unlearn  all  that 
he  has  hitherto  looked  upon  as  the  correct  method. 
Because  of  the  widespread  interest  in  the  bicycle, 
it  has  seemed  advisable  to  add  a  chapter  on  bicy- 
cling for  men  and  one  on  bicycling  for  women,  and 
a  few  hints  and  suggestions  on  the  care  of  the 
wheel.  The  extracts  from  the  A.  A.  U.  rules  are 
used  by  courtesy  of  Messrs.  A.  G.  Spalding  & 
Bros.,  and  are  taken  from  the  official  hand-book 
of  the  Amateur  Athletic  Union. 


TRACK    EVENTS 


THE    SPRINTS 


OF  all  track-athletic  events  the  sprints  are  the 
hardestjto  train  for,  yet  the  easiest  to  perform. 
Being  the  easiest,  there  are  consequently  many 
more  athletes  running  the  100  and  the  220  than 
there  are  competing  in  any  other  single  events; 
but  among  all  these  competitors  there  are  com- 
paratively few  really  first-class  men.  To  become 
such  requires  long  and  patient  and  careful  train- 
ing, and  a  greater  mastery  of  form  than  in  almost 
anything  else., 

It  is  a  difficult  task  to  tell  on  paper  just  what  a 
man  should  d°  ,who  washes  to  make  a  specialty  of 
sprinting.  There  are  so  many  small,  points  of  im- 
portance that  vary  with  individuals,  that  only  a 
general  description  and  a  few  broacj^sjaggestions 
can  be  given  here.  At  the  same  time,  whoever 
accepts  these  suggestions  and  he^eds  :them  may 
feel  confident  that  he  is  working  alo^ng  the  right 
lines,  and  that  if  he  will  follow  the  advice  here  set 
down  he  will  put  himself  into  condition;  to  make 
rapid  strides  of  progress  as  soon  as  he  comes  under 
the  management  of  a  trainer. 


4  TRACK    ATHLETICS    IN    DETAIL 

No  one  ought  to  begin  to  train  for  any  athletic 
event  much  under  the  age  of  sixteen.  Until  that 
time  few  boys  are  sufficiently  developed  physically 
to  be  able  to  stand  the  strain  of  regular  athletic 
work.  At  that  age  and  afterward,  however,  the 
muscles  become  firm,  and  are  amenable  to  devel- 
opment and  capable  of  continuous  careful  exercise. 
You  will  hear  a  great  deal  of  talk  about  "  wind  " 
and  "  breathing "  and  "  lungs,"  and  kindred  sub- 
jects, when  you  first  begin  to  train  as  a  runner. 
Pay  no  attention  to  these  "  wind  "  advisers.  Your 
wind  and  lungs  will  take  care  of  themselves.  In 
the  first  place,  the  lungs  are  not  at  all  the  organs 
that  you  want  to  think  of  in  this  connection ;  it  is 
the  heart.  The  heart  is  the  organ  that  is  affected 
by  running.  Run  a  hundred  yards,  and  you  will 
find  your  heart  beating  faster  than  when  you 
started.  The  exertion  of  sending  the  blood  more 
rapidly  through  the  body  is  the  cause  of  this. 
Therefore  a  sprinter  should  first  feel  confident 
that  he  has  a  strong  heart;  he  may  then  set  to 
work  with  no  misgivings  about  his  wind. 

It  is  not  the  lungs  that  are  affected  by  cigarette 
smoking.  It  is  the  heart.  Take  any  smoker,  and 
you  will  find  that  his  heart  beats  to  a  different 
measure  from  that  of  an  abstainer.  For  this  rea- 
son sprinters  should  avoid  tobacco.  Another  old- 
fashioned  and  exploded  theory  is  that  the  athlete 
should  run  with  his  mouth  shut.  That  is  not 
necessary  at  all.  In  fact,  sprinters  are  taught 


THE    SPRINTS  5 

nowadays  to  run  with  their  mouths  open,  and 
every  first-class  man  in  the  event  does  so.  It 
must  be  plain  to  every  one  that  a  man  can  get 
more  air  into  his  lungs,  and  thus  facilitate  the 
working  of  the  heart,  by  inhaling  through  his 
mouth  than  through  his  nostrils.  Of  late  all 
the  best  long-distance  runners  have  adopted  this 
breathing  method,  and  find  it  the  best. 

The  training  for  the  loo^yards  and  that  for  the 
220  are  almost  identical,  for  an  athlete  who  runs 
one  of  these  events  almost  invariably  becomes 
proficient  in  the  other.  In  fact,  the  220  is  a  long 
sprint — the  word  sprint  meaning  to  run  at  full 
speed  the  entire  distance  of  a  race.  The  most 
important  feature  of  sprinting,  of  course,  is  the 
start,  and  no  runner  can  become  too  proficient  in 
this.  Up  to  within  five  or  six  years  the  standing 
start  was  universal,  but  in  1889  or  1890  Lee,  of 
the  New  York  Athletic  Club,  introduced  the 
crouching  start,  and  since  then  that  has  become 
the  standard  in  America.  In  England  some  of 
the  professionals  used  it,  but  not  until  the  London 
Athletic  Club  men  came  over  here  in  1895  did 
British  amateurs  recognize  the  value  of  the  crouch 
and  adopt  it.  But  they  did  adopt  it  after  the 
international  games,  and  no  doubt  the  crouching 
start  will  soon  become  general  among  English 
amateurs. 

The  position  for  the  start  is  somewhat  difficult 
to  acquire  and  master,  but  once  this  is  accom- 


6  TRACK    ATHLETICS    IN    DETAIL 

plished  an  athlete  is  certain  to  knock  off  one-fifth 
of  a  second  from  his  best  previous  record.  The 
first  thing  of  importance  is  to  fall  into  an  easy 
position,  with  the  hands  on  the  scratch-line  and 
the  starting  foot  from  6  to  9  inches  back.  The 
other  foot  should  be  from  2  feet  6  inches  to  2  feet 
9  inches  farther  back.  The  runner  should  be 
raised  up  on  his  toes  in  an  easy,  springy  attitude. 
Illustration  No.  i,  on  the  opposite  page,  shows  ex- 
actly how  that  position  is  taken.  Many  runners 
lean  on  their  knuckles,  but  a  better  way  is  to  have 
the  hands  open,  and  to  rest  on  the  extended  fin- 
gers. This  gives  more  spring.  In  order  to  do 
this,  and  to  keep  hold  of  the  running  corks,  fasten 
a  rubber  band  at  each  end  of  these,  and  slip  this 
over  the  back  of  the  hand. 

When  the  starter  gives  the  word  to  "  set,"  the 
runner  should  lean  forward  as  far  as  he  can  with-  /> 
out  losing  his  balance,  his  head  lifted  so  that  he   \ 
can  get  a  full  and  clear  view  of  the  track  ahead  * 
of  him.     When  the  pistol  sounds  he  shoots  ahead 
with  all  the  force  of  both  legs,  but  his  first  two 
strides  are  taken  in  a  crouching  position.    Do  not 
attempt  to  stand  erect  at  the  very  start.     Let  the 
head  and  shoulders  rise  along  a  slanting  line  to 
their  proper  altitude,  or  there  will  be  an  infinitesi- 
mal but  still  noticeable  loss  of  time.     As  soon  as 
the  runner  has  got  into  an  erect  position,  however, 
and  into  his  pace,  he  should  run  with   only  the 
very  slightest  forward  inclination  of  the  body,  but 


I  s 
£  x 
I  r. 


8 


TRACK    ATHLETICS    IN    DETAIL 


with  the  chin  thrust  well  out.  Illustration  No.  2, 
on  page  7,  shows  this  well.  The  arms  should 
be  swung  across  the  body  rather  than  alongside 
of  it.  This  gives  better  form  and  makes  an  easier 
stride. 

Never  look  backward  while  running.     Many  a 
race  has  been  lost  by  that  very  act.     Pay  no  atten- 


THE   START — JUST   AFTER    THE    SIGNAL    HAS   BEEN    GIVEN 

tion  at  all  to  the  other  competitors,  but  go  it  for  all 
you  are  worth,  regardless  of  your  rivals.  Breathe 
naturally.  Do  not  begin  to  stop  until  you  have 
passed  the  finish-line,  but,  this  done,  throw  up 
your  hands  and  try  to  run  up  into  the  air.  Illus- 
tration No.  3  demonstrates  that  idea. 

The  man  who  naturally  has  a  long  stride  has 
an  advantage  over  his  fellows,  but  the  man  who 
has  not  a  long  stride  need  not  attempt  to  increase 
his  spread  of  leg.  An  athlete  can  run  much 


THE    SPRINTS 


better  with  his  natural  stride  than  with  an  adopted 
gait.  Of  course,  when  jogging  for  practice,  it  is 
best  to  lift  the  legs  as  well  up  as  possible,  and  thus 
develop  whatever  capabilities  for  a  long  stride  you 
may  have,  but  do  not  strain  yourself  by  trying  to 
overdo  the  thing.  The  foot  should  always  come 
down  straight  upon  the  ground — that  is,  flat  This 
does  not  mean  that  the  heel  should  touch,  for  it 
must  not  by  any  means.  Yet  a  man  does  not  run 
on  his  toes ;  he  runs  on  the  ball  of  his  foot ;  and, 
in  order  that  the  spikes  of  his  shoes  may  enter 
the  track  to  the  best  advantage,  the  sole  should 
strike  flat,  that  the  nails  may  dig  well  in  and 
secure  a  .firm  hold. 

For  a  beginner  who  has  never  undertaken  any 
systematic  training  in  sprinting,  and  who  desires 
to  become  proficient  in  it,  the  following  schedule, 


Richards  Crum  Ramsdell 

FINISH    OF   A    100-YARD    DASH — SHOWING   DIFFERENT   STYLES 


10  TRACK    ATHLETICS    IN    DETAIL 

to  be  carefully  carried  out  for  three  weeks,  may  be 
strongly  recommended : 

Monday. — Practise  the  start  six  times,  running  at  speed  only 
about  20  yards  from  the  scratch.  Rest  between  each 
attempt,  and  end  up  by  jogging  50  yards,  finishing  up 
the  100  at  speed. 

Tuesday.— -Jog  a  quarter  of  a  mile,  for  the  purpose  of  devel- 
oping the  stride. 

Wednesday. — Run  75  yards  at  speed ;  rest,  and  then  run  50 
yards  at  speed. 

Thursday. — Practise  the  start  ten  times,  running,  as  before, 
not  farther  than  20  yards  each  time;  jog  220  yards 
slowly  for  stride. 

Friday. — Run  50  yards  at  speed  twice,  with  a  rest  between. 

Saturday. — Run  a  trial  100  yards  on  time,  and,  after  a  rest, 
jog  around  the  track  for  220  yards. 

To  an  ambitious  young  athlete  who  feels  he  is 
a  future  record-holder  this  schedule  may  seem 
altogether  too  light.  There  are  no  words  strong 
enough,  however,  with  which  I  can  urge  him  not 
to  attempt  to  do  a  bit  more  at  the  beginning. 
What  is  more,  at  the  slightest  sign  of  fatigue  at 
this  work  quit  for  the  day. 

For  practising  starts,  where  a  pistol  is  unavail- 
able, get  some  one  to  snap  two  boards  together. 
Don't  start  by  oral  command.  Get  in  the  habit 
of  getting  off  the  mark  at  the  crack  of  a  pistol, 
or  to  a  sound  as  nearly  like  it  as  possible.  The 
jogging  around  the  track  should  be  taken  very 
slowly,  and  is  intended  purely  as  a  leg  exercise 


THE    SPRINTS 


II 


and  to  develop  the  muscles  of  the  calves  and 
thighs.  A  long,  loose  jog  will  lengthen  the  stride. 
When  preparing  for 
a  contest,  lay  off 
altogether  the  day 
immediately  pre- 
ceding it,  and  don't 
run  your  distance 
against  time  for 
three  or  four  days 
previously.  Run 
only  50  yards  at 
those  times  if  you 

are    going    into    the  J.  v.  CRUM'S  STRIDE 

100,  and  try   150  if 

you  intend  entering  the  220.     In  a  220  race  you 

will  find  that  you  can  make  a  stronger  finish  if 


Bradley  Stevenson        Crum  Wefers 

START   OF   THE    IOO-YARD    RACE,  INTERNATIONAL   GAMES,   1895 

you  ease  up  a  trifle  for  five  or  ten  yards  at  the 
2OO-yard  mark — although  this  is  merely  compara- 


12  TRACK    ATHLETICS    IN    DETAIL 

tively  speaking,  for  this  race  is  a  dash  from  start 
to  finish.  It  will  be  better  not  to  experiment 
with  this  suggestion  until  you  have  become  a 
pretty  good  judge  of  pace. 

The  proper  costume  for  a  runner  is  a  light  jer- 
sey shirt  with  no  sleeves,  and  china-silk  running- 
trousers  that  barely  reach  to  the  knees.  If  china- 
silk  is  unavailable,  cambric  or  cotton  will  do  very 
well.  Corks  may  be  purchased  of  any  dealer  in 
sporting  goods.  Working  shoes  should  be  made 
of  horse-hide,  with  no  heels,  and  six  spikes  in  the 
toes.  The  athlete  should  also  have  a  pair  of  calf- 
skin shoes  of  the  lightest  possible  make  for  use 
in  competition  only.  While  at  work  it  is  well  to 
wear  light  socks,  as  these  make  the  shoe  fit  more 
snugly;  but  in  a  race  wear  "pushers";  these  are 
made  of  chamois,  and  cover  the  toes  from  the  in- 
step downward. 


THE    MIDDLE    DISTANCES 


THE  middle  distances  are  the  hardest  events  for 
an  athlete  to  work  at  without  the  assistance  of  a 
trainer;  but  this  fact  should  not  discourage  the 
beginner,  because  there  is  a  vast  amount  of  pre- 
liminary work  that  he  can  do  which  will  put  him 
into  such  condition  that  when  he  does  at  last 
come  under  the  care  of  a  coach  he  will  be  able  to 
make  rapid  progress  towards  proficiency. 

The  term  "  middle  distances  "  is  usually  applied 
to  the  quarter  and  half  mile  races  only,  for  these 
have  become  recognized  as  the  standards  by  ama- 
teur associations  and  clubs.  The  quarter-mile  is 
sometimes  set  down  on  the  card  as  a  44o-yard  dash 
— for  it  is  practically  a  dash  from  start  to  finish, 
as  run  nowadays — and  the  half-mile  is  frequently 
called  the  88o-yard  run.  It  is  becoming  more 
usual,  however,  to  look  upon  these  events  as  frac- 
tions of  a  mile. 

The  preparatory  work  for  the  quarter  should  be- 
gin at  the  close  of  winter  with  walks  of  from  two  to 
three  miles  across  country,  ending  up  with  a  half- 
mile  jog  and  a  good  rub-down.  This  sort  of  exer- 


14  TRACK    ATHLETICS    IN    DETAIL 

cise  should  be  taken  every  day  for  three  weeks,  in 
order  to  harden  the  muscles  and  get  the  body  into 
regular  habits  of  physical  exercise.  Let  us  pre- 
sume that  at  the  end  of  this  time  the  weather  has 
moderated  sufficiently  to  permit  of  out-door  work 
in  light  running  costume.  This  should  consist 
of  running  at  an  easy  gait  distances  longer  and 


Lyons  Lewiii        Kilpatrick    Horan 

FIRST   LAP,  HALF-MILE   RACE,  INTERNATIONAL    GAMES,    1895 


shorter  than  a  quarter-mile  on  alternate  days.  For 
instance,  on  Monday,  run  220  and  300  yards  a 
couple  of  times,  with  a  rest  in  between ;  on  Tues- 
day run  600  yards  or  half  a  mile ;  on  Wednesday 
run  the  short  distances  again ;  and  keep  on  doing 
this  for  a  month  or  more.  Occasionally — say  once 
a  week — try  100  yards  for  speed,  and  about  every 
tenth  day  take  a  trial  quarter  on  time. 

The  most  important  of  all  things  in  running 


THE    MIDDLE    DISTANCES  15 

the  middle  distances  is  that  the  athlete  should  be- 
come a  judge  of  pace.  He  must  know  just  how 
fast  he  is  going.  It  takes  time,  of  course,  to  ac- 
quire this  knowledge,  but  the  good  men  in  the 
events  know  just  how  rapidly  they  are  travelling 
around  the  track,  and  can  tell  to  a  fifth  of  a  second 
what  their  gait  has  been  for  any  fraction  of  the 
course.  That  is  why  these  events  are  the  hardest 
to  run.  The  best  way  to  acquire  this  knowledge 
of  gait  is  to  get  some  one  to  hold  a  watch  on  you 
every  time  you  run.  When  you  have  not  a  train- 
er, however,  this  is  not  always  possible.  But  there 
is  no  reason  why  you  should  not  hold  the  watch 
yourself.  And  it  is  well  to  keep  a  record  of  your 
speed  as  it  increases. 

Frequent  runs  of  150  and  300  yards  on  time 
will  serve  to  show  how  your  speed  is  getting 
along,  and,  the  distances  being  short,  this  will  ena- 


Burke  Jordan 

FINISH    OF   THE   QUARTER-MILE   RACE,  INTERNATIONAL   GAMES,   1895 


l6  TRACK    ATHLETICS    IX    DETAIL 

ble  you  to  judge  of  pace  so  that  you  can  tell  very 
closely  how  you  are  travelling  over  the  various 
portions  of  your  distance.  As  has  been  said,  the 
quarter  as  now  run  is  a  sprint  from  start  to  finish, 
and  the  best  thing  to  do  in  competition  is  to  jump 
into  the  lead  at  once  and  head  the  field  all  the  way, 
if  you  can.  As  in  the  100  and  220,  no  heed  should 
be  given  to  the  other  competitors ;  and,  above  all 
things,  never  look  back. 

There  is  little  more  to  be  said  in  the  way  of  in- 
struction for  this  event,  for  it  is  one  that  must  be 
worked  over  according  to  the  powers  and  capa- 
bilities of  each  individual. 

The  general  training  after  the  first  four  or  five 
months  is  about  the  same  as  for  the  sprints.  As  for 
the  start,  it  is  optional  with  the  individual  wheth- 
er he  shall  stand  or  crouch.  Burke,  the  world's 
champion  quarter-miler,  who  is  represented  in  the 
series  of  illustrations  on  the  opposite  page,  uses 
the  standing  start,  but  many  others  get  off  from 
the  crouching  position.  The  second  picture  of 
the  series  gives  a  good  idea  of  the  pace  and  the 
general  position  of  the  body,  both  of  which  are 
identical  with  sprinting  form.  The  finish  is 
somewhat  different.  There  is  always  plenty  of 
space  ahead  after  a  quarter -mile  race  (which,  of 
course,  has  to  be  run  on  a  curved  track)  for  the 
runner  to  keep  on  going  as  long  as  he  wishes  to, 
and  thus  he  can  pass  the  tape  at  top  speed  and 
keep  on  as  far  as  he  likes.  Many  hundred-yard 


s"  " 


1 8  TRACK    ATHLETICS    IN    DETAIL 

sprinters,  coming  down  a  short,  straight  track,  lose 
a  fraction  of  a  second  of  their  speed  by  slowing 
up  too  soon. 

The  half-mile  run  requires  even  a  greater  judg- 
ment of  gait  than  does  the  quarter,  and  it  is  a 
much  harder  race  to  run,  having  now  been  devel- 
oped into  such  a  speedy  contest  that  a  man  should 
never  attempt  to  enter  any  other  event  in  games 
where  he  runs  a  half-mile.  Moreover,  the  athlete 
who  adopts  the  half-mile  as  his  specialty  should 
give  up  every  other  event  and  train  continuously 
and  solely  for  that  distance.  He  must  get  himself 
into  such  shape  that  he  can  tell,  to  a  fraction  of  a 
second,  just  how  fast  he  is  going.  This  is  learned 
only  by  having  a  watch  going  all  the  time,  and 
while  training  there  ought  to  be  some  one  on  the 
track  to  shout  the  time  every  furlong  or  so. 

The  preparatory  work  for  this  distance  is  simi- 
lar to  that  of  the  quarter — that  is,  there  should  be 
long  and  short  work,  over  and  under  the  distance, 
on  alternate  days.  A  half-mile  trial  on  time  once 
in  two  weeks  is  sufficient.  The  start  and  gait  are 
the  same  as  for  the  quarter.  In  the  illustration  of 
the  start  of  the  half-mile  race  at  the  Intercollegi- 
ates  of  1895,  opposite,  it  is  plain  to  see  that  Kilpat- 
rick  is  determined  to  get  the  pole  if  he  can,  while 
Sichel  and  Kingsley,  who  have  inside  positions, 
are  determined  to  keep  them,  even  if  they  have  to 
take  a  sprinting  start.  Hollister,  on  the  other 
hand,  has  apparently  made  up  his  mind  to  let  Kil- 


THE    MIDDLE    DISTANCES 


Kilpatrick  Hollister  Kingsley  Sichel 

START   OF   HALF-MILE  RACE   AT  THE   INTERCOLLEGIATE   GAMES,   1895 


Hollister  Kilpatrick 

FINISH    OF   THE  SAME    RACE 


20  TRACK    ATHLETICS    IN    DETAIL 

patrick   set   the  pace,  and  then  try  to  pass  him. 
This  was  wise  of  Hollister,  because  he  knew  Kil- 


F.   S.    HORAN  S    STRIDE 


Patrick's  habit  was  to  run  a  very  fast  first  quarter, 
and  he  himself  had  been  trained  to  sprint  hard  at 
the  finish.  Thus  he  felt  that  if  he  could  keep  up 
with  Kilpatrick  for  the  first  three-eighths  he  could 
sprint  past  him  at  the  finish.  Hollister  is  shown 
winning  in  the  second  illustration  on  page  19. 

I  give  this  illustration  of  the  tactics  of  half-mile 
racing  to  show  how  much  strategy  has  to  be  used 
in  this  event.  You  must  know  how  your  oppo- 
nents run,  and  you  must  distribute  your  energies 


THE    MIDDLE    DISTANCES  21 

over  the  race  so  as  to  counteract  as  far  as  possible 
those  of  the  other  competitors.  It  would  have 
been  unwise  for  Hollister  to  fight  with  Kilpatrick 
for  the  lead  in  this  case,  because  the  latter  could 
have  run  him  off  his  feet.  That  is  Kilpatrick's 
style.  But  by  letting  Kilpatrick  set  the  pace, 
Hollister  had  an  easier  time  of  it  in  the  first  quar- 
ter, because  he  did  not  have  to  give  any  thought 
whatever  to  his  gait.  When  it  came  to  the 
stretch,  all  he  had  to  do  was  to  sprint.  Neverthe- 
less, the  best  general  rule  for  a  novice  is  to  jump 
to  the  lead  and  hold  it  if  he  can.  When  he  gets 
to  be  a  first-class  man  he  can  devote  more  thought 
to  the  individual  work  of  his  opponents.  One  of 
the  best  things  for  any  one  working  at  the  half- 
mile  is  to  attend  every  meeting  he  can  and  watch 
the  work  of  other  half-milers.  In  fact,  it  is  well 
for  every  athlete  to  follow  big  games,  and  study 
his  own  event  in  the  work  of  others.  Big  cham- 
pionship games  should  never  be  missed  if  it  is  a 
possible  thing  to  witness  them. 


THE    MILE    RUN 


THE  mile  run  is  about  the  only  long-distance 
event  practised  by  American  school  and  college 
athletes.  In  England  the  three-mile  race  is  popu- 
lar, and  is  one  of  the  standard  events  of  the  inter- 
university  field  meetings,  but  it  has  not  as  yet  been 
adopted  in  this  country.  At  the  International 
games  of  1895  it  was  on  the  card,  and  Conneff 
won  for  the  New  York  Athletic  Club.  Since  then 
there  has  been  some  talk  of  placing  the  event  on 
the  Intercollegiate  schedule,  but  the  proposition 
to  do  so  was  defeated. 

Training  for  the  mile  run  may  be  begun  at  al- 
most any  time  of  the  year,  but  it  is  presumed  in 
all  these  short  sketches  that  training  will  be  start- 
ed in  the  winter-time  and  developed  in  the  spring. 
Preliminary  work  in  long-distance  running  is  of 
the  simplest  kind,  consisting  merely  of  walking 
and  running  at  a  slow  jog  four  or  five  miles  every 
day  until  the  spring  season  has  fairly  set  in.  For 
this  kind  of  work  the  best  costume  to  wear  are 
knickerbockers,  heavy  shoes  and  stockings,  a  flan- 
nel shirt,  and  a  sweater.  This  walking  and  run- 


THE    MILE    RUN  23 

ning  across  country  will  harden  the  muscles  and 
gradually  develop  staying  powers,  which  can  be 
acquired  in  no  other  way. 

When  the  weather  has  become  warm  enough  to 
permit  track  work  in  light  running  costume,  the  fol- 
lowing scheme  will  be  found  a  good  one  for  steady 
training :  On  the  first  day  do  a  mile  and  a  half  at 


Cleveland  Orton        Jarvis        Morgan  Coolidge  Wadhains 

ONE-MILE  RACE,  INTER  COLLEGIATES,    1895,  END  OF   FIRST   QUARTER 


an  easy  jog ;  on  the  second  day,  run  a  half-mile  at 
a  good  pace,  trying  to  do  it  in  2  min.  45  sec.  (as 
the  weeks  pass  by  the  athlete  should  try  to  reduce 
this  time  for  the  half-mile  down  to  2  min.  30  sec. 
or  below) ;  on  the  third  day  run  a  quarter  of  a 
mile  at  speed ;  on  the  fourth  day  cover  three-quar- 
ters of  a  mile  at  an  easy  jog ;  on  the  fifth  day  do 
a  mile  and  a  half  again  very  leisurely ;  on  the  sixth 
day  another  quarter  at  speed.  Always  lay  off  on 


24  TRACK    ATHLETICS    IN    DETAIL 

Sunday,  for  one   day's  rest  a  week  is  necessary 
when  training  for  any  event. 

After  this  method  has  been  practised  for  several 
weeks,  it  will  be  well  to  take  a  trial  mile  on  time. 
But  thereafter  do  not  run  trials  more  frequently 


T.    P.    CONNEFF  S    STRIDE 


than  once  in  ten  days,  and  never  make  a  trial 
within  ten  days  of  the  date  of  a  race.  Before  a 
competition  it  is  well  to  lay  off  for  two  or  three 
days,  and  before  trying  a  mile  on  time  during  the 
practice  season  it  is  always  best  to  lay  off  the 
day  before.  In  other  words,  do  your  trial  mile  on 
Monday,  Sunday  being  the  regular  lay-off  day. 


THE    MILE    RUN  25 

There  is  little  to  be  said  about  the  strategy  of 
mile-running.  The  mile-runner  must  know  just 
how  fast  he  can  run,  and  when  he  goes  into  a 
race  he  should  cover  his  distances  regardless  of 
what  his  rivals  are  doing.  This  is  sometimes  very 


W.    E.    LUTYENS  S    STRIDE 


difficult,  especially  for  younger  runners  who  are 
not  judges  of  pace,  and  who  allow  themselves  to 
be  run  off  their  feet  in  the  first  half-mile.  It  is 
true  that  the  first  half-mile  is  always  run  at  a 
greater  speed  than  the  second ;  but  a  well-trained 
athlete,  who  knows  exactly  how  fast  he  can  do  his 
event,  should  not  allow  any  opponent  to  make  him 


26  TRACK    ATHLETICS    IN    DETAIL 

go  faster  than  he  is  in  training  for.  A  number  of 
athletes,  knowing  the  average  weakness  of  mile- 
runners,  train  themselves  to  go  a  very  fast  half- 
mile  at  first,  in  the  hope  that  they  may  run  their 
opponents,  who  have  trained  in  a  different  way, 
off  their  feet.  Those,  however,  who  are  confident 
of  their  ability,  and  are  judges  of  pace,  will  fre- 
quently allow  these  fast  fellows  to  get  a  quarter  of 
a  lap  ahead  of  them,  knowing  very  well  that  in  the 
second  half-mile  they  will  be  able  to  close  up  and 
finish  strongly. 

The  pictures  on  pages  24  and  25  show  the  stride 
of  Conneff — the  American  and  International  cham- 
pion—  and  of  Lutyens,  the  English  Interuniver- 
sity  champion,  who  was  defeated  by  Conneff  in  the 
International  games  of  1895.  It  is  plain  to  see 
that  the  Englishman's  stride  is  much  longer  than 
Conneff 's ;  but  stride  does  not  seem  to  be  such  an 
important  factor  in  long-distance  running  as  it  is 
in  the  shorter  distances.  In  fact,  it  will  be  no- 
ticed that  most  mile-runners  are  short,  stocky  men, 
although,  as  a  rule,  their  legs  are  much  longer  in 
proportion  to  their  bodies  than  is  the  case  with 
other  men.  Conneff  runs  with  his  mouth  open  the 
whole  distance,  and,  as  has  already  been  stated, 
this  is  undoubtedly  the  best  method  for  runners 
to  adopt,  in  spite  of  the  old  adage  about  bieathing 
through  the  nose.  Conneff  also  runs  with  his 
arms  hanging  down,  which  is  by  far  the  best  way, 
as  it  relieves  the  chest  and  shoulders  of  the  weight 


THE    MILE    RUN  2/ 

of  the  arms  (which  counts  in  a  long  race),  and  the 
swinging  of  the  hands  low  down  seems  to  give  a 
forward  impetus  similar  to  that  which  a  jumper 
gets  when  he  uses  dumb-bells.  The  costume  and 
footwear  for  long-distance  running  are  the  same 
as  for  other  distances,  except,  perhaps,  that  the 
shoes  may  be  made  a  trifle  heavier  if  the  athlete 
prefers. 


THE    HURDLES 


THERE  are  two  distances  for  hurdle  races  which 
have  become  recognized  by  the  Intercollegiate 
Associations  and  the  larger  athletic  clubs  as  the 
standards  for  this  event.  The  shorter  distance  is 
1 20  yards,  the  race  being  run  over  ten_hurdles,  three 
feet  six  inches  high,  placed  ten  yards  apart,  the 
first  and  last  obstacles  being  respectively  fifteen 
yards  from  the  starting  and  the  finishing  lines. 
The  longer  distance  is  220  yards,  the  ten  hurdles 
in  this  case  being  two  feet  six  inches  high,  twenty 
yards  apart,  and  the  first  and  last  respectively 
twenty  yards  distant  from  the  start  and  finish. 
These  two  events  are  usually  spoken  of  as  the 
"high  hurdles"  and  the  "low  hurdles,"  the  dis- 
tances being  invariably  understood  as  given  above. 

Hurdling  requires  skill,  strength,  spring,  nerve, 
and  a  cool  head ;  and  to  become  a  fast  hurdler 
you  must  devote  several  years  of  hard  and  faithful 
practice  in  this  particular  event.  The  training  for  a 
beginner  should  be  begun  in  the  gymnasium  in  the 
winter,  with  light  calisthenics,  rising  on  the  toes, 
rising  on  the  heels,  raising  the  legs,  and  practising 


THE    HURDLES  29 

the  double  jump  on  the  toes.  There  is  also  a 
peculiar  exercise,  which  consists  of  raising  one 
leg,  bent  at  the  knee,  forward,  and  the  other  leg, 
bent  at  the  knee,  backward,  alternating  the  legs  at 
each  motion;  this  serves  to  limber  and  strengthen 
the  muscles  that  are  used  in  hurdling.  An  occa- 
sional short  jog  out  of  doors  on  fair  days,  and 
light  all-round  work  in  the  gymnasium,  for  gen- 
eral physical  development,  should  be  made  a 
part  of  this  preliminary  training.  One  of  the 
best  exercises  that  a  hurdler  can  possibly  indulge 
in  is  to  dance  up  and  down  on  the  spring-board 
for  ten  or  fifteen  minutes  every  day.  This  de- 
velops that  very  necessary  quality  of  spring  and 
suppleness. 

When  the  out-door  training  season  begins,  the 
first  two  or  three  days  should  be  spent  in  jogging 
up  and  down  the  track.  After  that  take  occa- 
sional sprints  of  thirty  or  forty  yards,  without  prac- 
tising the  start.  On  the  third  day  practise  the 
start  two  or  three  times,  and  try  clearing  one  high 
hurdle  about  three  times.  On  the  fourth  day  do 
the  same  thing.  On  the  fifth  day  place  two  high 
hurdles  on  the  track  at  their  proper  distances,  and 
negotiate  them  two  or  three  times.  On  the  sixth 
day  repeat  this  performance  with  three  hurdles. 

After  this  first  week  of  out-door  practice,  when- 
ever the  hurdles  are  being  jumped,  the  athlete 
should  rush  at  them  with  his  utmost  speed  from 
the  proper  distances,  so  as  to  become  accustomed 


THE   HURDLES 


From  instantaneous  photographs  of  E.  H.  Cady 


32  TRACK   ATHLETICS    IN    DETAIL 

to  them.  The  general  training  for  a  hurdler  should 
be  about  the  same  as  that  for  the  100  and  220 
yard  dashes. 

After  three  weeks  of  this  kind  of  preliminary 
work,  the  high  hurdles  may  be  placed  in  position, 
and  the  hurdler  may  try  going  over  the  whole  dis- 
tance on  time ;  but  he  should  never  attempt  this 


.-»«  ------  •--  —  « 

FIG.    I 


more  than  once  or  twice  a  week,  doing  his  daily 
work  over  not  more  than  three  hurdles. 

There  are  two  things  of  vital  importance  for  the 

hurdler  to  work  at  in  order  to  acquire  speed  :  he 

should  drive  himself  as  fast  as  he  can  go  from  the 

v   crack  of  the  pistol  until  he  stops  running,  and  each 

hurdle  should  be  rushed  at  as  if  it  were  the  last. 

Speed  between  the  hurdles  is  of  the  utmost 
importance.  The  secret  of  obtaining  this  lies  in 
starting  the  foot  which  has  crossed  last  over  the 
hurdle  forward  for  the  first  step  before  the  forward 
foot  has  reached  the  ground,  thus  making  the  first 
step  after  the  jump  a  very  short  one,  yet  a  very 
quick  one.  This  is  a  difficult  movement  to  learn, 
but  the  athlete  will  find  that  it  will  lower  his  time 
perceptibly  if  he  can  master  it.  The  instinctive 
act  upon  landing  after  the  leap  is  to  take  a  long 
stride  forward  with  a  view  to  covering  distance. 


THE    HURDLES  33 

But  the  athlete  must  restrain  this  inclination  and 
force  himself  to  take  a  short  step,  even  if  he  has  to 
work  over  it  for  months,  or  he  will  never  be  able 
to  acquire  skill  or  speed  as  a  hurdler.  That  first 
short  step  after  clearing  the  hurdle  gives  the  run- 
ner his  impetus,  and  the  other 
two  steps  easily  follow.  The 
third  step  is  shorter  than  the  / 

second  in  order  that  the  runner       ^J 
may  gather  himself  slightly  for  FIG.  2 

the  spring  over  the  next  hurdle. 

The  ideal  distance  between  steps  in  a  high-hur- 
dle race  is  shown  in  Fig.  i.     The  runner  alights 
about  7  feet  6  inches  from  the  obstacle,  and  then 
takes  the  short,  quick  step  already  mentioned  (4 
feet  10  inches);  then  he  makes  a  long  step  (5  feet 
10  inches),  and  then  another  short  step  (4  feet  4 
inches),  which  brings  him  within  7  feet  6  inches 
of  his  next  hurdle,  and  he  makes  that  spot  his  take- 
off.    A   fatal  fault  of 
many  beginners  is  to 
bring  the  forward  foot 
down  in  such  a  way  as 
FIG  to  cut  off  the  length 

of  the  jump,  as  shown 

in  Fig.  2.  The  first  foot  should  be  made  to 
shoot  as  far  forward  as  possible  along  an  imagi- 
nary line,  as  shown  in  Fig.  3.  As  the  last  hur- 
dle is  cleared,  the  head  should  be  thrust  for- 
ward as  the  athlete  lands  on  the  ground,  and  so 

3 


34  TRACK    ATHLETICS    IN    DETAIL 

held,  for  this  will  greatly  aid  in  the  sprint  for  the 
tape. 

Training  for  the  low  hurdles  is,  in  general,  the 
same  as  £Kat  for  the  high  hurdles.  The  jump 
over  the  obstacle  itself,  however,  is  radically  differ- 
ent, and  it  is  for  this  reason  that  many  hurdlers 


____  _  I 

FIG.   4 

who  are  invincible  over  the  shorter  distance  are 
frequently  defeated  in  the  longer. 

In  clearing  the  low  hurdles  the  athlete  should 
endeavor  not  to  jump.  He  must  put  as  little 
spring  as  possible  into  his  effort,  but  should  clear 
the  obstacle  by  a  dexterous  management  of  the 
legs.  Here  is  where  one  advantage  of  the  double- 
jump  exercise  comes  in.  In  the  220  race  the  body 
of  the  hurdler  should  be  kept  on  as  constant  a 
level  as  possible.  In  other  words,  his  shoulders 
should  move  along  an  imaginary  straight  line  from 
start  to  finish. 

Fig.  4  shows  this  more  clearly  perhaps  than  any 
description  can.  The  line  AA  is  the  one  that 
the  shoulders  should  follow;  the  line  BB  shows 
the  motion  that  should  be  avoided.  With  prac- 
tice this  form  can  be  readily  acquired,  and  it  adds 
greatly  to  the  speed  of  the  hurdler.  The  secret 


THE    HURDLES 


35 


of  the  motion  is  to  lunge  slightly  forward  at  the 
hurdle  and  to  clear  the  obstacle  by  a  dexterous 
movement  of  the  legs.  The  movement  is  some- 
what similar  to  that  which  a  man  would  make  if 
he  were  suspended  from  the  ceiling,  his  toes  just 


Torrey 
120-YARD   HURDLE    RACE,  INTERCOLLEGIATES,    1895 

touching  the  floor,  and  a  series  of  hurdles  on  a 
treadmill  were  passing  under  him.  To  avoid  be- 
ing struck  he  would  merely  lift  his  legs,  as  he  has 
learned  to  do  in  the  exercise  described  on  page  29. 
The  low  hurdles  being  placed  twenty  yards 
apart,  it  is  of  course  necessary  to  take  a  greater 
number  of  steps  between  obstacles.  Seven  strides 


36  TRACK    ATHLETICS    IN    DETAIL 

is  the  number  to  be  aimed  at,  although  a  runner 
vvith  a  short  stride  has  to  be  content  with  nine. 
The  latter  sometimes  necessitates  slowing  up  be- 
fore each  hurdle,  which  is  fatal ;  and  consequently 
it  is  more  advisable  to  train  for  eight  strides,  in  that 
case  jumping  from  alternate  feet.  This  makes  a 
race  upon  a  curved  track  extremely  difficult,  and 
is  a  form  that  should  be  avoided,  although  there 
are  many  men  who  are  compelled  to  adopt  it. 

In  practice  the  athlete  should  never  go  over 
more  than  seven  hurdles  in  succession,  except, 
perhaps,  once  in  two  weeks  for  a  trial  on  time, 
because  the  event  is  too  exhausting. 

The  footwear  adopted  by  hurdlers  is  similar  to 
the  high-jumper's  shoes.  They  are  made  of  kan- 
garoo-skin, and  should  be  slightly  heavier  than 
sprinters'  shoes.  The  heel  should  be  constructed 
of  quarter-inch  leather  with  two  spikes  placed  at 
the  extremities  of  diagonals  drawn  through  the 
centre  of  the  heel.  This  precludes  the  possibility 
of  bruising  from  the  constant  pounding  on  the 
jumping  foot.  In  the  toes  there  should  be  the 
usual  six  spikes. 

The  hurdles,  whether  the  high  or  the  low, 
should  be  cleared  by  as  narrow  a  margin  as  possi- 
ble. From  the  standpoint  of  speed  it  is  better  to 
strike  the  top  bar  lightly  rather  than  to  clear  it  by 
several  inches,  for  this  margin  makes  a  loss  of 
time.  The  illustrations  on  pages  30  and  31  give  a 
very  good  idea  of  the  position  a  man  should  train 


38  TRACK    ATHLETICS    IN    DETAIL 

himself  to  assume  when  clearing  the  sticks.  The 
eighth  illustration  gives  a  very  good  idea  of  the 
distance  of  the  landing-spot  from  the  hurdle,  as 
shown  also  in  Figs,  i  and  2.  The  single  thing 
which  probably  requires  the  greatest  practice  is  to 
get  the  exact  length  of  stride  for  the  various  steps 


Chase    bhaw 

TAKING    THE   LAST   OBSTACLE   IN  THE    I2O-YARD    HURDLE    RACE,    INTER- 
NATIONAL  GAMES,   1895 

between  hurdles.  A  good  way  to  get  this  is  to 
mark  these  spots  on  the  ground,  and  then  go  over 
the  hurdles,  lighting  on  these  spots,  until  the  stride 
has  become  absolutely  natural.  But  no  cast-iron 
rule  can  be  laid  down  for  any  one.  By  aiming  at 
this  ideal  the  hurdler  will  gradually  work  into  a 
stride  best  adapted  to  himself. 


THE    HURDLES  39 

In  running  the  high  hurdles  the  athlete  may 
use  either  foot  he  chooses  at  the  take-off,  although 
it  is  better  to  become  accustomed  to  jump  from 
the  right  foot.  It  is  better,  because  in  the  low 
hurdles  the  successful  man  must  jump  from  the 
right  foot.  This  is  made  necessary  by  curved 
tracks.  There  are  few  220  straightaway  courses, 
most  low-hurdle  contests  being  conducted  on  a 
curved  track  ;  and  it  is  practically  impossible  to 
make  any  speed  at  all  on  such  a  path  when 
jumping  from  the  left  foot.  J.  P.  Lee  used  to 
jump  from  the  left  and  right  foot  alternately, 
and  for  that  reason  he  scarcely  ever  entered  a 
contest  on  a  curved  track.  He  knew  he  could 
not  win. 

There  is  a  difference  of  opinion  among  the  best 
men  in  this  event  as  to  whether  the  standing  start 
or  the  crouching  start  is  the  better.  Those  who 
take  the  upright  start  assert  that  they  can  get  off 
quicker  and  are  in  better  condition  to  take  the 
first  hurdle,  which  is  only  fifteen  yards  away,  and 
say  that  it  is  difficult  to  rise  to  the  proper  jumping 
position  in  such  a  short  run.  Those  who  favor 
the  crouching  start  deny  this.  This  is  a  case 
where  each  individual  must  decide  for  himself 
which  method  he  prefers.  Another  vital  point 
that  must  be  observed  is  to  rush  for  the  first  hur- 
dle with  the  utmost  speed,  for  the  way  in  which 
the  first  obstacle  is  reached  and  cleared  often  de- 
cides the  race.  It  may  be  well  to  add  that  under 


40  TRACK    ATHLETICS    IN    DETAIL 

no  circumstances  whatever  should  the  hurdler  look 
back  over  his  shoulder  to  see  the  position  of  the 
other  competitors.  This  fault  has  lost  the  leading 
man  many  a  prize.  A  hurdle  race  is  a  constant 
drive  from  start  to  finish. 


THE  MILE  WALK 


THIS  event  is  the  least  athletic  of  any  on  the  in- 
tercollegiate or  interscholastic  schedules,  and  will 
doubtless  be  dispensed  with  entirely  in  a  year  or 
two.  There  are  few  exercises  for  the  general  run 
of  men  any  better  than  walking — walking  across 
country,  at  a  natural  gait,  head  up,  chest  out,  toes 
turned  out,  and  arms  swinging  easily  at  the  sides. 
Such  walking  is  natural  and  healthful.  "  Ath- 
letic"  or  "heel-and-toe"  walking  —  exaggerated 
stride,  heel  pounding,  toeing  in,  and  all  that  —  is 
artificial,  and  of  no  particular  benefit.  It  is  not 
harmful,  of  course,  because  it  is  exercise,  and  all 
normal  exercise  is  beneficial. 

The  muscles  that  require  the  greatest  develop- 
ment for  walking  are  the  abdominal  and  the  fore- 
thigh  muscles.  Training  should  be  begun  as  soon 
as  the  snow  is  off  the  ground  by  taking  walks  across 
country.  Begin,  of  course,  by  taking  short  walks, 
in  order  to  inaugurate  a  general  hardening  process, 
and  each  day  when  you  come  to  a  good  stretch  of 
road,  try  two  or  three  hundred  yards  of  strict  heel- 
and-toe  walking,  giving  especial  attention  to  the 


TRACK    ATHLETICS    IN    DETAIL 


free  and  rolling  mo- 
tion of  the  hips. 
This  motion  is  clear- 
ly shown  in  illustra- 
tion No.  3  on  this 
page. 

To  become  a  suc- 
cessful walker  it  is 
absolutely  necessary 
to  be  loose  and  sup- 
ple about  the  hips. 
The  novice  will  no- 
tice pains  about  the 
abdomen  at  first,  but 
he  need  not  feel  in 
any  way  alarmed. 
He  has  not  caught 
cold.  He  has  mere- 
ly set  some  muscles 
to  work  that  are  not 
usually  called  upon 
to  exert  themselves 
under  ordinary  cir- 
cumstances, and  for 
a  week  or  two  they 
will  feel  sore  and 
lame. 

After  a  week  of 
general  unlimbering 
the  walks  should  be 


THE   MILE   WALK 


5  4 

From  instantaneous  photographs  of  J.  D.  Phillips 


44  TRACK    ATHLETICS    IN    DETAIL 

extended,  and  distances  between  five  and  ten 
miles  should  be  covered.  In  all  this  walking  the 
athlete  must  train  himself  to  set  his  foot  down 
straight,  for  walkers  may  not  toe  out.  At  the  end 
of  two  or  three  weeks,  begin  the  alternate  work 
as  told  of  in  the  foregoing  chapters  for  running 
events.  That  is,  one  day  take  a  ten -mile  walk 
at  an  easy  gait,  and  the  next  a  three-mile  walk 
as  fast  as  you  can  travel,  and  keep  this  up  until 
you  are  ready  to  go  on  the  track.  But  always 
rest  on  Sunday.  One  day's  rest  out  of  seven  is 
imperative. 

When  work  on  the  track  begins,  form  is  the  prin- 
cipal thing  to  devote  your  attention  to.  Take  long, 
slow  walks  around  the  cinder-path,  putting  the  feet 
down  straight  and  firmly,  and  devote  all  your  energy 
to  acquiring  an  easy  stride,  and,  as  far  as  possible, 
a  long,  swinging  one.  Work  at  the  hip  motion 
until  you  are  master  of  it,  and  train  yourself  in  the 
swinging  of  the  arms  until  these  become  a  means 
of  assistance  rather  than  an  annoyance. 

The  only  way  to  acquire  speed  in  walking  is  to 
"  sprint  "  (not  a  running  sprint,  but  a  walking  sprint) 
from  100  to  200  yards.  Here  again  alternate  work 
should  be  done — that  is,  walk  a  half  or  three-quar- 
ters of  a  mile,  and  rest,  then  walk  half  a  mile,  one 
day;  and  on  the  alternate  days  do  short  sprints 
several  times,  with  rests  in  between.  Don't  try  to 
go  a  mile  at  speed  until  you  have  been  at  work 
several  months. 


THE    MILE    WALK  45 

After  the  first  couple  of  weeks  it  may  be  well  to 
take  a  trial  half  or  quarter  on  time,  but  this  should 
never  be  done  oftener  than  once  in  a  week  or  ten 
days.  When  you  have  gotten  into  condition  at  the 
end  of  four  or  five  months,  try  a  mile  on  time,  but 
thereafter  never  attempt  to  go  the  full  distance  at 
speed  more  frequently  than  once  in  ten  days  or  two 
weeks. 

The  costume  for  walking  is  the  same  as  for  run- 
ning, except  that  the  shoes  have  no  spikes.  The 
heels,  too,  are  somewhat  different,  being  built  with 
a  slight  projection  of  the  sole  at  the  back,  so  as  to 
make  the  constant  pounding  on  the  heel  less  se- 
vere. 

It  seems  almost  needless  to  say  here  that  walk- 
ing differs  from  running  in  that  one  of  the  athlete's 
feet  must  be  constantly  on  the  ground,  he  must 
not  lift  the  rear  toe  until  the  forward  heel  has 
struck,  and  the  rear  knee  must  lock.  The  illus- 
trations show  the  rear  knee  locked  in  every  in- 
stance. By  speaking  of  the  knee  as  "  locked  "  is 
meant  that  the  joint  is  closed. 

In  a  race  it  is  always  well  to  take  the  lead,  if 
possible,  and  walk  your  own  mile.  Before  going 
into  a  contest  the  athlete  ought  to  know  pretty  well 
how  fast  he  can  cover  his  distances,  and  he  should 
disregard  his  competitors  as  much  as  circumstances 
will  allow. 

Walking  has  fallen  somewhat  into  disrepute  of 
late,  because  unscrupulous  athletes,  proficient  in 


46  TRACK    ATHLETICS    IN    DETAIL 

the  heel-and-toe  method,  can  frequently  run  with- 
out apparently  altering  their  form,  and  when  the 
Judge  of  Walking  is  not  at  their  very  heels  they 
travel  rapidly,  but  unfairly,  over  the  course.  But 
this  is  not  sport. 


FIELD    EVENTS 


THE    RUNNING    HIGH    JUMP 


IT  may  well  be  set  down  as  an  absolute  rule 
that  no  one  should  attempt  to  start  in  to  train 
seriously  for  the  running  high  jump  until  after  he 
is  eleven  or  twelve  years  old.  In  fact,  it  is  safe  to 
say  that  no  one  under  that  age  should  ever  go 
into  any  kind  of  systematic  athletic  work,  for  am- 
bition is  liable  to  lead  the  aspiring  athlete  into 
injurious  over-exertion. 

If  you  want  to  take  up  high  jumping  as  a  spe- 
cialty, spend  the  winter,  or  the  indoor  season,  in 
pulling  weights,  so  as  to  strengthen  the  back  and 
chest,  and  in  going  through  leg  motions  to  fortify 
the  limbs.  No  one  can  ever  succeed  as  a  high 
jumper  unless  he  has  a  well-developed  chest  and 
back,  for  the  strain  on  the  dorsal  muscles  is  prac- 
tically what  lifts  the  man  over  the  bar.  This 
sounds  very  much  like  lifting  one's  self  up  by  the 
boot-straps,  but  it  is  nevertheless  correct  The 
leg  exercises  are  simple.  There  are  two  kinds. 
One  is  to  lift  yourself  up  on  your  toes.  Start  in 
by  doing  it  about  twenty-five  times  every  day  for 
a  week ;  then  increase  the  number  until  you  get 


50  TRACK    ATHLETICS    IN    DETAIL 

up  to  about  three  hundred  times.  An  expert 
high  jumper  can  lift  himself  five  hundred  times 
without  much  fatigue.  A  second  exercise  is  the 
"  frog  motion."  This  consists  of  placing  the  heels 
close  together  and  of  squatting  and  rising.  Do 
this  a  few  times  only  to  start  with,  and  gradually 
bring  yourself  up  to  the  hundreds.  Exercise  the 
chest  with  weights  and  dumb-bells.  Strengthen 
the  back  by  bending  over  with  the  legs  stiff,  the 
arms  thrown  out  in  front  until  the  finger-tips 
touch  the  floor  easily.  Do  not  attempt  any  high 
jumping  in  the  winter  months  when  learning,  for 
running  on  a  hard  board  floor  is  not  a  good  thing, 
as  one  is  liable  to  slip  and  get  injured.  One  week 
of  practice  in  the  open  air  is  worth  a  month  of 
indoor  work. 

For  out-of-door  practice  the  jumper  should  have 
two  square  posts  about  two  inches  thick,  made  of 
almost  any  kind  of  wood,  and  bored  with  holes 
one  inch  apart  up  to  5  ft.  8  in.,  and  half  an  inch 
apart  above  that.  The  pegs  should  be  three 
inches  long,  and  the  bar,  made  of  pine,  should  be 
about  twelve  feet  long  and  one  inch  square.  The 
posts  are  placed  eight  feet  apart,  and  it  is  usual 
to  hang  a  handkerchief  over  the  centre  of  the 
cross-bar  so  that  the  latter  may  be  seen  better.  A 
jumper  must  always  keep  his  eye  on  the  bar  from 
the  time  he  starts  to  run  until  he  lands  safely  on 
the  other  side  of  it.  The  runway  should  be  eight 
feet  wide  and  about  forty  feet  long.  It  should  be 


THE    RUNNING    HIGH    JUMP  51 

made  of  cinders,  well  rolled,  and  ought  to  be  kept 
dampened  so  that  it  shall  be  springy.  Beyond  the 
posts  the  earth  should  be  turned  over  and  raked 
so  as  to  make  a  soft  landing-place. 

The  jumping  costume  should  consist  of  a  jersey 
suit  rather  than  a  linen  blouse  and  trousers,  be- 
cause the  knit  goods  cling  to  the  form  and  keep 
the  muscles  warm.  The  trousers  should  never 
reach  the  knees,  which  have  to  be  kept  free.  The 
feet  are  encased  in  shoes  made  of  kangaroo  skin, 
laced  in  front  like  running- shoes,  and  are  worn 
without  socks.  The  shoe  of  the  jumping  foot- 
that  is,  the  foot  you  take  off  with — is  made  several 
ounces  heavier  than  the  other,  and  is  about  as 
heavy  as  a  sprinter's  footwear.  The  heel  is  made 
of  one-quarter-inch  sole-leather,  and  has  two  spikes. 
Some  men  jump  with  one  spike  in  the  middle  of 
the  heel ;  but  this  is  very  bad,  because  when  the 
jumper  alights  his  heel-bone  pounds  on  the  spike, 
and  this  soon  raises  a  stone-bruise.  If  you  have 
two  spikes  fixed  at  the  extremities  of  a  diagonal 
drawn  through  the  centre  of  the  heel,  this  bruising 
is  easily  avoided.  There  are  no  spikes  on  the  heel 
of  the  other  shoe,  but  the  heel  itself  is  made 
slightly  thicker.  In  the  toes  of  both  there  should 
be  six  spikes.  It  may  be  well  to  say  here  that  the 
jumping  foot  is  usually  the  left  foot,  although  this 
is  purely  a  matter  of  individual  taste.  Page, 
Sweeney,  Cosgrove,  Baltazzi,  and  almost  all  of  our 
successful  jumpers,  however,  take  off  with  the  left 


52  TRACK    ATHLETICS    IN    DETAIL 

foot  and  stride  over  the  bar  with  the  right.  For 
the  sake  of  uniformity  and  convenience,  therefore, 
let  us  hereafter  understand  jumping  foot  for  left 
foot. 

One  of  the  striking  features  of  the  series  of 
illustrations  of  pages  58  and  59  is  that  it  proves 
that  a  high  jumper  practically  steps  over  the  bar 
with  one  stride  instead  of  flying  over  it  in  a  com- 
pact bunch,  as  he  appears  to  do  when  watched  by 
the  naked  eye.  The  bar  in  all  these  pictures  was  at 
5  feet  8  inches,  and  each  photograph  necessitated 
a  separate  jump.  This  alone  is  enough  to  show  in 
what  excellent  form  the  athlete  worked,  for  a 
kinetoscope  could  not  have  caught  the  separate 
actions  in  one  leap  to  better  effect  than  these 
photographs  have  shown  them  in  eight  different 
leaps. 

Good  form  in  high  jumping  is  one  of  the  prime 
requisites  for  success.  It  is  only  within  the  past 
few  years  that  much  attention  has  been  given  to 
this  feature  of  the  exercise,  and  it  is  no  doubt  for 
this  reason  that  the  record  has  been  so  steadily 
climbing.  The  picture  of  G.  B.  Fearing,  the  Har- 
vard high  jumper,  on  the  opposite  page,  is  repro- 
duced from  a  photograph  taken  in  1892.  He  was 
a  splendid  all-around  athlete  and  a  clever  jumper, 
but  he  had  no  form.  His  sole  thought  was  to  get 
over  the  bar,  and  form  could  take  care  of  itself. 
As  he  clears  the  bar  in  this  picture  both  his  feet 
appear  to  be  curled  up  under  his  body,  and  his 


THE    RUNNING    HIGH    JUMP 


53 


head  is  thrown  forward  and  down.  He  seems  to 
be  almost  reclining  on  his  side,  whereas  Baltazzi, 
who  is  shown  in  the  pictures  on  pages  58  and 
59,  makes  the  leap  with  his  body  practically  per- 
pendicular, although  he  necessarily  bends  forward 
in  the  motion  which  lifts  the  torso  over  the  stick. 


G.   B.   FEARING  S    FORM 


Fearing's  form,  as  displayed  in  this  photograph, 
does  not  give  the  same  idea  of  power  and  assur- 
ance as  that  shown  by  Baltazzi.  Sweeney,  the 
world's  champion,  jumps  in  the  same  manner  as 
Baltazzi — in  fact,  Baltazzi  acquired  much  of  his 
style  from  studying  Sweeney.  But  there  is  one 


54  TRACK    ATHLETICS    IN    DETAIL 

peculiarity  about  the  champion's  jump  which 
many  people  do  not  clearly  understand,  and  so 
they  have  named  his  style  the  "  Sweeney  jump." 
Any  man  who  could  go  as  high  as  Sweeney  would 
have  to  clear  the  bar  in  the  same  manner.  This 
peculiarity  is  shown  in  the  photograph  on  the  op- 
posite page,  taken  at  the  International  Games  on 
September  21,  1895.  Here  Sweeney  appears  to 
be  lying  out  flat  on  his  back,  instead  of  clearing  the 
bar  in  an  upright  position.  The  upright  position 
is  all  very  well  to  maintain  up  to  six  feet,  but  above 
that  every  ounce  of  muscular  power  must  be  ex- 
erted in  raising  the  trunk — the  head  and  shoul- 
ders become  a  secondary  consideration.  Thus, 
although  up  to  six  feet  Sweeney  clears  the  bar  in 
an  upright  position,  when  it  comes  to  a  higher 
leap  he  springs  as  high  as  he  can  from  the  ground, 
and  then  heaves  his  torso  and  shoots  his  legs  for- 
ward, twisting  his  body  in  the  air  until  he  comes 
into  the  position  shown  in  the  picture.  He  has 
to  depend  entirely  upon  the  momentum  of  his  run 
and  the  mid-air  twist  on  top  of  the  bar  to  get  his 
shoulders  and  head  over. 

The  Englishmen  who  came  over  with  the  Lon- 
don Athletic  Club  team  were  amazed  at  Sweeney's 
performance,  and  even  after  he  had  successfully 
cleared  the  bar  at  6  feet  5!  inches,  thus  making  a 
new  world's  record,  the  Britishers  were  sceptical 
until  they  had  measured  the  height  of  the  central 
point  of  the  cross-bar  for  themselves. 


SWEENEY   MAKING    HIS    WORLD-RECORD    JUMP,  6  FEET    5f   INCHES 


r 


ENGLISH   ATHLETES    MEASURING  SWEENEY  S  6- FEET- 5f- INCH   JUJ 


56  TRACK    ATHLETICS    IN    DETAIL 

English  high  jumpers,  as  a  rule,  have  very  little 
form.  Ryan,  the  Irish  champion,  goes  over  the 
bar  with  both  feet  at  once.  Almost  all  other  Eng- 
lishmen run  towards  the  bar  at  an  angle,  instead 
of  straight  down  the  runway,  and  "cut"  over  it, 
first  one  leg  and  then  the  other.  This  style  is 
well  illustrated  in  the  accompanying  portrait  of  A. 
B.  Johnson,  who  jumped  for  the  London  Athletic 
Club  in  the  International  Games  of  1895.  r- 

And  now  to  return  to  the  detail  of  the  high 
jump  itself.  There  is  no  rule  that  can  be  laid 
down  as  to  how  far  away  from  the  posts  a  jumper 
should  start  to  run.  The  nearer  the  better,  be- 
cause less  power  is  then  wasted  in  the  approach. 
Sweeney  and  Baltazzi  both  start  about  seventy- 
five  feet  back  and  run  slowly  down  to  a  point 
within  three  long  strides  of  the  posts.  This  point 
must  be  measured  and  absolutely  fixed  by  every 
jumper.  ,  He  should  then  start  in  the  middle  of 
the  runway  and  swing  slowly  towards  the  right 
edge  of  the  cinder  track,  turning  sharply  to  the 
left  at  this  fixed  point,  and  then  taking  his  three 
strides  as  rapidly  and  with  as  much  force  as  he  can 
compel.  This  brings  his  left  foot  on  the  take-off, 
and  gives  his  body  a  sort  of  twist  that  aids  greatly 
in  getting  over  the  bar.  A  man  who  jumps  with 
his  right  foot  should  swerve  in  towards  the  left 
edge  of  the  track  so  as  to  get  the  "  lift "  on  the 
left  side  of  the  body. 

The  first  illustration  of  the  series,  on  page  59, 


THE    RUNNING    HIGH    JUMP 


57 


shows  the  jumper  as  he  starts.  He  takes  an  easy 
gait  until  he  reaches  his  u  mark,"  then  gets  into 
his  stride,  and  the  second  illustration  shows  him 
springing  from  the  take-off.  This  spot  is  another 
that  each  individual  must  locate  by  experiment 


A.   B.  JOHNSON  S    METHOD 

for  himself.  A  good  way  for  a  beginner  to  deter- 
mine how  far  from  the  bar  to  take  off  is  to  stand 
before  it  on  one  foot  and  lift  the  other  until  he 
can  touch  the  cross-piece  with  his  toes.  He  takes 
off  as  far  back  as  he  can  thus  stand  on  one  foot 
and  touch  the  bar  with  the  other.  This  distance 
from  the  base-line  between  the  posts  to  the  take-off 


THE    RUNNING    HIGH   JUMP 


6  5 

From  instantaneous  photographs  of  S.  A.  W.  Baltazzi 


60  TRACK    ATHLETICS    IN    DETAIL 

is  usually  equal  to  the  height  of  the  bar  from  the 
ground.  A  veteran  can,  as  a  rule,  take  off  closer 
than  this,  but  that  is  the  result  of  long  practice 
and  experience.  If  you  jump  or  take  off  with 
the  left  foot,  all  the  work  is  done  with  that  foot 
and  that  side  of  the  body.  If  you  jump  with  the 
right  foot,  the  conditions,  of  course,  are  reversed. 
The  present  description  is  of  a  jumper  who  uses 
the  left  foot. 

Upon  reaching  the  take-off,  as  shown  in  the 
second  illustration  of  the  series,  the  heel  strikes 
first,  as  may  clearly  be  seen  from  the  heavy  mark 
underneath  it,  and  gives  the  power  for  the  jump. 
The  toe  merely  gives  direction  to  the  motion  im- 
parted by  the  heel  and  the  big  shin  muscle  which 
connects  with  it.  The  leap  has  now  begun,  and 
with  the  right  foot  rising  the  jumper  begins  to  sail 
over  the  bar.  His  line  of  travel  is  a  perfect  semi- 
circle, beginning  at  the  take-off,  and  ending  in  the 
soft  ground  on  the  other  side  at  exactly  the  same 
distance  from  the  base-line  of  the  posts. 

No.  3  shows  him  still  rising  from  the  ground, 
his  right  foot  giving  the  direction  of  the  leap. 
The  muscles  of  the  arms  and  back  are  now  just 
coming  into  play  to  raise  the  torso  and  the  left 
leg — and  all  the  time  the  eye  is  firmly  fixed  on 
the  bar. 

In  No.  4  the  right  foot  is  just  passing  over  the 
handkerchief,  and  the  arms  and  back  are  seen 
straining  with  the  exertion  of  bringing  up  the  left 


THE    RUNNING    HIGH    JUMP 


6l 


leg.  Notice  that  muscle  of  the  neck.  It  connects 
with  the  muscles  of  the  side  and  abdomen,  and 
these  harden  like  steel  to  force  the  quick  motion 
that  has  to  be  made  to  lift  that  side  of  the  body. 
The  strain  on  this  neck  muscle  and  the  working 


S.    A.    W.    BALTAZZ1  S    FORM 


of  the  back  and  arms  are  even  better  displayed  in 
No.  5,  where  the  left  leg  is  almost  up,  and  is  about 
to  clear  the  bar.  Considerable  practice  is  required 
for  this  motion,  because  it  has  to  be  done  very 
quickly.  The  left  foot  has  to  be  brought  in  very 
close  to  the  right  thigh,  and  yet  the  sharp  spikes 


62  TRACK    ATHLETICS    IN    DETAIL 

must  be  kept  from  tearing  the  flesh.  Note  how 
the  eye  is  constantly  on  the  bar. 

In  the  next  picture,  No.  6,  the  bar  has  been 
cleared,  the  whole  body  is  over,  and  the  right  leg 
has  dropped.  It  is  now  no  more  used,  except  as 
a  balance  for  the  body,  the  entire  work  of  the 
jump,  as  before  stated,  being  done  with  the  left 
leg.  The  jumper's  eye  is  still  fixed  on  the  bar, 
and  not  until  he  is  well  over  it,  as  shown  in  No.  7, 
does  he  remove  his  gaze.  As  he  clears  the  stick 
his  back  muscles  give  a  twist  to  his  flying  form, 
and  his  right  arm  thrown  into  the  air  aids  him  in 
turning,  so  that  he  will  fall  facing  the  bar.  The 
left  leg  has  now  passed  the  right,  and  is  making 
ready  to  sustain  the  weight  of  the  body  on  land- 
ing, while  the  right  is  thrust  slightly  backward  to 
maintain  a  proper  equilibrium.  The  strain  on  the 
back  and  arms  is  relaxed. 

In  No.  8  he  is  just  about  to  land,  and  the  cam- 
era has  given  us  a  beautiful  display  of  the  loose- 
ness of  the  arm  muscles,  showing  the  right  arm 
still  in  the  air  and  about  to  drop  as  soon  as  the 
feet  strike  the  ground.  The  body  is  lying  along 
the  curve  of  the  semicircle  through  which  the 
jump  has  been  made. 

In  a  competition  each  competitor  is  allowed 
three  trial  jumps  at  each  height  of  the  bar,  and  if 
he  fails  on  the  third  trial  he  is  declared  out.  Run- 
ning under  the  bar  in  making  an  attempt  to  jump 
counts  as  a  balk,  and  three  balks  count  as  a  trial 


THE    RUNNING    HIGH    JUMP  63 

jump ;  thus  it  is  always  better  to  balk  rather  than 
to  attempt  a  jump  if  you  do  not  come  squarely  on 
your  take-off.  A  competitor  may  decline  to  jump 
at  any  height  in  his  turn,  but  by  so  doing  he  for- 
feits his  right  to  again  jump  at  the  height  de- 
clined. Many  jumpers  wait  until  the  bar  reaches 
a  fair  height  before  entering  a  competition,  thus 
reserving  their  strength,  but  this  may  only  be 
done  by  an  athlete  who  is  certain  of  his  ability  to 
clear  the  bar  at  that  height. 


THE    RUNNING    BROAD    JUMP 


To  become  a  successful  broad  jumper  the  ath- 
lete must,  to  a  certain  extent,  combine  the  skill 
of  the  sprinter,  the  high  jumper,  and  the  hurdler, 
for  broad  jumping  is  a  sort  of  combination  of  the 
other  three.  Like  every  other  athletic  feat,  this 
one  requires  systematic  work  both  of  the  body 
and  the  head,  and  persistent,  continuous  effort  be- 
fore any  kind  of  form  can  be  developed. 

The  first  difficulty  for  the  novice  to  overcome 
is  the  laying  out  of  hisjrun  and  the  arrangement 
of  his  take-off.  These  details  are  both  of  the 
highest  importance,  for  although  he  may  be  a 
good  sprinter  and  a  good  jumper,  these  two  quali- 
ties are  nullified  if  the  take-off  is  uncertain. 

The  run  differs  with  almost  every  individual; 
each  athlete  must  determine  this  for  himself  by 
experiment.  It  is  necessary  to  lay  out  two  marks 
on  the  cinder-track ;  the  first  one  must  be  a  given 
number  of  strides  this  side  of  the  take-off,  and  the 
second  at  a  distance  farther  back,  to  suit  the  taste 
of  the  jumper. 

Bloss,  for  instance,  counts  back  nine  strides  from 


THE    RUNNING    BROAD    JUMP  65 

the  take-off  to  his  first  mark,  and  then  goes  back  a 
dozen  strides  farther.  Lyons,  whose  jump  is  illus- 
trated by  the  pictures  on  pages  66  and  67,  goes  back 
only  eight  strides  from  the  take-off  for  his  first  mark, 
and  about  a  hundred  and  five  feet  to  the  start  of 


E.    W.   BLOSS  S    STYLE 


his  run.  Let  "us  call,  for  convenience,  the  mark 
nearest  the  take-off  the  first  mark,  and  the  other 
the  second  mark.  These  have  been  laid  out  so 
that  the  jumper  may  feel  certain  that  if  his  jump- 
ing-foot,  whether  it  be  the  right  or  the  left,  strikes 
fairly  upon  the  first  it  will  also  come  squarely  upon 
the  take-off,  and  the  jump  will  be  a  good  one.  It 
sometimes  happens  in  contests  that  the  conditions 


4  5 

THE    RUNNING   BROAD   JUMP 


THE    RUNNING    BROAD    JUMP 


of  the  wind  or  of  the 
track  will  be  such  that 
these  marks  will  have  to 
be  slightly  altered;  and 
every  athlete  should  be 
careful  to  examine  the 
runway  before  his  event 
is  called,  so  as  to  be  able 
to  fix  the  points  that  he 
must  depend  upon  for 
his  success. 

The  position  for  the 
start  of  the  broad  jump  is 
the  same  as  that  assumed 
by  middle-distance  and 
long-distance  runners, 
and  is  illustrated  by  the 
first  picture  of  the  series 
on  page  66.  The  jump- 
ing foot,  in  this  case  the 
right  foot,  is  on  the  start- 
ing-mark, with  the  other 
slightly  in  advance.  The 
sprinter  starts  down  the 
track,  measuring  his 
strides  carefully  so  as  to 
come  properly  upon  the 
first  mark,  and  then  he 
sprints  at  his  greatest 

Instantaneous  photographs  of  R.  J.  Lyons       Speed     down     the 


68  TRACK    ATHLETICS    IN    DETAIL 

path  to  the  take-off.  If  he  has  measured  his  dis- 
tances correctly,  he  will  land,  as  is  shown  in  illus- 
tration No.  3,  with  his  jumping  foot  squarely  upon 
the  take-off.  If  he  feels  that  he  has  gotten  out  of 
his  stride,  it  is  better  not  to  take  the  jump  at  all, 
but  to  stop,  for  overstepping  the  mark  by  a  few 
inches  will  ruin  the  jump,  and  underreaching  the 
mark  will  detract  just  that  much  from  the  measure 
of  his  effort. 

The  act  of  the  jump  itself  is  where  the  greatest 
strain  of  muscle  and  nerve  is  required.  Just  be- 
fore coming  to  the  take-off,  say  at  the  last  step, 
the  athlete  should  gather  himself  together  and 
crouch  as  low  as  his  great  speed  will  permit,  and 
bring  his  jumping  foot  down  as  hard  as  possible 
upon  the  take-off,  at  the  same  time  throwing  his 
hands  forward  and  upward.  Bringing  down  the 
foot  with  such  power  serves  to  throw  the  body 
into  the  air,  and  this  movement  *is  aided  by  the 
lifting  of  the  arms.  The  hardest  strain  comes  on 
the  back  muscles,  just  as  in  high  jumping.  The 
eyes  should  be  fixed  on  some  distant  high  point 
rather  than  on  the  ground  where  the  jump  will 
probably  end.  This  seems  to  give  a  better  u  aim," 
and  in  many  cases  adds  an  inch  or  so  to  the  dis- 
tance. The  fourth  picture  shows  the  jumper  just 
after  he  has  left  the  take-off.  The  next  sees  him 
well  on  his  way,  with  his  legs  curled  up  close 
under  the  chin,  and  his  arms  reaching  out  far 
forward,  so  as  to  throw  the  balance  as  much  as 


THE    RUNNING    BROAD    JUMP 


69 


possible  in  that  direction.  The  sequence  of  the 
three  lower  pictures  of  the  series  gives  an  excel- 
lent idea  of  the  arc  along  which  the  broad  jumper 
travels.  As  he  comes  down,  the  jumper  should 


L.  P.  SHELDON    JUMPING 

hold  his  feet  as  far  forward  as  he  can,  in  order  to 
gain  every  inch  that  is  to  be  had,  and  he  should 
also  keep  his  head  and  arms  forward,  so  as  not  to 
lose  his  equilibrium  and  fall  backward,  thus  mak- 
ing his  jump  void.  The  sixth  picture  on  page  67 
shows  the  correct  attitude  for  the  end  of  the  flight 


70  TRACK    ATHLETICS    IX    DETAIL 

through  the  air,  the  feet  being  well  ahead  of  the 
trunk,  but  the  arms  and  the  head  held  so  far  for- 
ward that  they  will  bring  the  body  along,  too,  as 
soon  as  the  feet  dig  into  the  soft  earth  below. 
The  feet  should  be  kept  well  together  on  landing 
in  the  jumping-box,  and  a  good  broad  jumper  will 
never  allow  himself  to  fall  forward  on  his  hands, 
but  will  always  resume  his  erect  position,  and  walk 
out  of  the  soft  earth  instead  of  rolling  out. 

In  field  competitions  the  jump  is  measured 
from  the  outer  edge  of  the  sunken  board  which 
marks  the  take-off,  on  a  line  perpendicular  to  it, 
to  the  nearest  break  in  the  ground  made  by  any 
part  of  the  person  of  the  competitor.  If  the 
jumper  oversteps  the  take-off,  or  scratch-line,  as  it 
is  called,  and  makes  a  mark  in  the  earth  on  the 
farther  side  of  it,  his  jump  is  registered  as  a  foul, 
but  counts  nevertheless  as  a  trial. 

Training  for  broad  jumping  consists  mostly  of 
hard  practice  in  sprinting  short  distances,  say 
from  seventy-five  to  a  hundred  yards.  This  is  to 
acquire  the  highest  speed  for  the  run.  High 
jumping  should  also  be  practised,  but  the  athlete 
should  not  attempt  to  become  proficient  in  the 
number  of  inches  he  can  clear,  but  rather  in  the 
form  with  which  he  covers  a  reasonable  height. 
A  spin  now  and  then  over  the  hurdles  will  also  do 
a  great  deal  towards  improving  a  broad  jumper's 
form.  After  the  athlete  has  become  more  or  less 
a  master  of  his  event,  he  will  find  that  half  a  dozen 


THE  RUNNING  BROAD  JUMP          71 

jumps  two  or  three  times  a  week  will  be  enough 
to  keep  him  in  practice,  and  I  should  advise  him 
by  all  means  to  rest  for  three  or  four  days  before 
going  into  a  contest. 

When  the  time  for  jumping  at  a  field-meeting 
arrives,  never  try  to  do  the  best  work  on  the  first 
jump.  Be  satisfied  to  make  your  marks  well  and 
to  catch  the  take-off  squarely.  Do  your  very  best 
on  the  second  jump  and  thereafter.  Before  mak- 
ing the  first  jump,  however,  try  a  spin  around  the 
track,  and  take  one  or  two  short  jumps  on  the 
grass,  so  as  to  be  thoroughly  limbered  up ;  other- 
wise, if  you  have  not  softened  your  muscles,  you 
may  injure  yourself  on  your  first  attempt,  and  be 
laid  up,  as  a  result,  for  weeks. 


THROWING    THE    HAMMER 


THROWING  the  hammer  and  putting  the  shot 
are  the  only  two  weight  events  now  practised  by 
college  and  school  athletes,  although  many  of 
the  athletic  clubs  still  retain  throwing  the  56-lb. 
weight  on  their  cards.  The  last  named,  however, 
is  merely  a  sort  of  exaggeration  of  the  first,  and 
only  practicable  for  very  large  and  very  strong 
men.  With  the  other  two  events  it  is  different. 
Strength,  of  course,  is  a  prime  requisite,  but  to 
attain  perfection  in  either  of  them  the  performer 
must  combine  skill  with  muscular  power. 

The  intercollegiate  rules  which  govern  the 
throwing  of  the  hammer  require  that  the  harn- 
mer-head  shall  be  a  metal  sphere,  and  the  handle 
may  be  of  any  material.  Up  to  within  three  or 
four  years  the  handle  used  to  be  made  of  hard 
wood,  but  recently  athletes  have  shown  a  prefer- 
ence for  a  flexible  steel  handle.  The  combined 
length  of  the  head  and  handle  must  not  exceed 
4  feet,  and  the  combined  weight  must  be  16 
pounds.  The  hammer  is  thrown  from  a  circle  7 
feet  in  diameter.  In  making  an  attempt  the  com- 


THROWING    THE    HAMMER  73 

petitor  may  assume  any  position  he  pleases,  but 
he  must  not  step  outside  of  this  circle.  In  a  con- 
test each  competitor  is  allowed  three  throws,  and 
the  best  three  men  in  the  first  trial  are  allowed 
three  more  throws.  The  measurement  of  a  throw 
is  made  from  the  nearest  edge  of  the  first  mark 
made  by  the  edge  of  the  hammer  to  the  point  of 
the  circumference  of  the  circle  nearest  this  mark. 
There  are  three  kinds  of  fouls  in  hammer  throw- 
ing, which  are  not  measured,  but  which  count 
against  the  competitor  as  throws.  They  are: 
letting  go  of  the  hammer  in  an  attempt;  touch- 
ing the  ground  outside  the  circle  with  any  por- 
tion of  the  body  while  the  hammer  is  in  hand ; 
or  touching  the  ground  forward  of  the  front  half 
of  the  circle  with  any  portion  of  the  body  before 
the  throw  is  measured. 

The  principal  thing  for  a  beginner  to  realize  is 
that  it  is  necessary  to  assume  the  easiest  possible 
position  when  at  work  with  the  hammer,  so  as  to 
give  the  muscles  the  fullest  play.  When  the  ham- 
mer is  thrown  around  the  head  it  should  be  kept 
as  far  as  possible  from  the  body ;  the  arms  should 
not  be  bent  nor  the  muscles  tightened,  and  the 
shoulders  should  be  allowed  to  move  as  easily  as 
possible.  This  ease  of  movement  of  course  may 
only  be  obtained  after  long  and  assiduous  prac- 
tice ;  and  it  is  only  fair  to  say  at  the  start  that  pro- 
ficiency in  throwing  the  hammer  comes  from  long 
rather  than  from  frequent  practice.  The  most 


TRACK   ATHLETICS    IN    DETAIL 


THROWING   THE   HAMMER 


successful  athletes  in  this  line  have  begun  by 
practising  half  an  hour  every  day  for  weeks  and 
months,  trying  rather  to  obtain  control  of  the  in- 
strument than  length  of  throw. 

As  this  is  an  event  which  cannot  be  practised 
indoors,  the  winter  season  must  be  given  up  to 
exercises  that  will  strengthen  the  arms  and  the 
back,  but  outdoor  work  may  be  begun  as  soon  as 
the  snow  is  off  the  ground.  After  a  man  has  be- 
come proficient  in  throwing  the  hammer,  he  will 
find  an  hour's  practice  two  or  three  times  a  week 
sufficient  to  keep  him  in  form,  and  he  ought  to 
rest  several  days  at  least  before  entering  a  com- 
petition. 


THROWING    THE    HAMMER 


75 


From  instantaneous  photographs  of  W.  O.  Hickok 

The  detail  of  the  throw  proper  is  a  thing  that 
must  be  carefully  studied  by  all  who  wish  to  do 
well  in  the  event.  First,  the  athlete  steps  into  the 
ring  holding  the  hammer,  the  head  resting  on  the 
ground  outside  the  circle.  He  secures  a  firm 
grasp  on  the  handle,  leaning  over  so  as  to  keep 
the  iron  head  as  far  away  from  his  body  as  pos- 
sible. This  attitude  is  shown  in  the  first  illustra- 
tion on  page  74.  The  second  picture  shows  the 
hammer  just  as  it  is  being  lifted  from  the  ground 
to  be  whirled  around  the  head.  It  is  plain  to  see 
that  the  arms  are  holding  the  instrument  as  far 
from  the  body  as  possible.  As  the  heavy  ball 
gains  in  velocity  it  stretches  out  so  that  the  arms 


76 


TRACK    ATHLETICS    IN    DETAIL 


I 


THROWING   THE    HAMMER 


and  the  handle  form  a  straight,  horizontal  line 
from  the  shoulders. 

The  fourth  picture  demonstrates  the  attitude  of 
the  performer  as  he  swings  the  hammer  about  his 
head  in  order  to  gain  the  necessary  momentum. 
The  motion  at  the  start  is  slow,  but  becomes 
gradually  faster  and  faster,  so  that  the  top  speed 
shall  be  reached  just  about  as  the  athlete  is  ready 
to  turn.  It  is  the  usual  custom  to  throw  the  ham- 
mer three  times  around  the  head  before  turning. 

The  fifth  picture  shows  this  turn.  When  this 
act  is  performed  the  hammer  should  be  kept  well 
behind  the  body,  and  the  thrower  should  try  to 
move  his  feet  around  as  fast  as  he  can,  and  never 


THROWING    THE    HAMMER  77 


under  any  considera- 
tion should  he  allow 
the  hammer  to  get 
ahead  of  the  motion 
of  his  body  ;  he  must 
keep  it  following  on 
behind,  or  else  the  hammer  will  throw  him  instead 
of  his  throwing  the  hammer. 

The  reason  given  for  jumping  around  on  the 
last  turn  is  that  a  man  when  proficient  in  this  trick 
can  gain  about  twenty-five  feet  on  his  throw.  It 
is  the  Irish  method  of  throwing  a  hammer,  and  has 
been  in  use  in  Ireland  for  several  hundred  years. 
The  Scottish  way  of  throwing,  still  in  use  in  Scot- 
land, is  to  stand  still.  This  used  to  be  the  method 
in  vogue  in  this  country,  but  within  the  last  ten 
years  the  A.  A.  U.  adopted  the  Irish  method,  and 
two  years  ago  the  Intercollegiate  Association  fol- 
lowed suit  A  man  who  has  become  accustomed  to 
throw  from  a  standstill  has  some  trouble  in  get- 


78  TRACK    ATHLETICS    IN    DETAIL 

ting  accustomed  to  the  turn,  but  as  soon  as  he  has 
got  the  knack  of  the  twist  he  will  greatly  prefer  it 
over  the  old  method. 

The  sixth  picture  shows  the  moment  just  pre- 
vious to  the  final  heave  when  the  hammer  is  to  be 
let  go.  This  should  not  be  done  with  a  jerk,  but 
the  handle  should  be  allowed  to  slip  from  the 
hands  at  the  proper  moment,  otherwise  any  jerk- 
ing will  destroy  the  momentum  obtained.  The 
last  picture  of  the  series,  on  page  77,  shows  the 
attitude  of  the  thrower  after  the  hammer  has  left 
his  hands,  the  weight  of  his  body  being  thrown 
backward,  so  as  to  prevent  him  from  stepping  out 
of  the  circle. 

The  hammer  is  thrown  from  a  restricted  circle, 
in  the  United  States,  in  order  to  make  the  event 
more  scientific.  A  strong  man  with  very  poor 
form  might  make  an  excellent  throw  sometime  if 
he  were  allowed  to  follow  it  and  to  go  where  he 
liked  in  his  efforts.  The  circle  prevents  this  go- 
as-you-please  method,  and  makes  it  necessary  for 
athletes  to  acquire  form  ;  it  also  gives  a  definite 
place  to  measure  from,  so  that  there  can  be  no  dis- 
pute as  to  the  exact  distance  for  the  measurer  to 
lay  off. 

In  England,  collegiate  amateur  athletes  throw 
from  a  3<>foot  circle.  This  gives  them  a  great 
advantage,  for  the  more  turns  you  can  take  before 
throwing,  the  greater  momentum  you  can  get  into 
your  throw.  The  Englishmen  use  a  3-foot-6-inch 


THROWING    THE    HAMMER  79 

handle,  which,  on  the  other  hand,  is  a  disadvantage 
to  them,  since  the  centrifugal  force  is  lessened  as 
the  square  of  the  distance  from  the  centre. 

If  athletes  used  a  longer  handle  than  the  one 
accepted  in  America,  which  is  4  feet  long,  they 
could  not  throw  the  hammer  so  well  as  they  do 
now,  unless  the  performer  were  of  unusual  stature, 
because  the  head  of  the  hammer  would  touch  the 
ground  in  the  first  few  turns  and  at  the  final  lift. 


PUTTING    THE    SHOT 


ALTHOUGH  putting  the  shot  and  throwing  the 
hammer  are  events  usually  performed  by  the  same 
man  in  an  athletic  competition,  it  is  a  fact,  never- 
theless, that  the  two  things  do  not  go  well  to- 
gether. The  hammer  develops  the  pulling  mus- 
cles in  the  back  and  arms,  while  the  shot,  on  the 
other  hand,  develops  the  pushing  muscles. 

At  one  time  Hickok,  intercollegiate  champion 
from  '93  to  '95,  devoted  himself  exclusively  to  the 
shot,  and  soon  got  himself  into  such  form  that  he 
could  put  45  feet  at  any  trial.  Then  he  started  in 
to  practise  with  the  hammer,  and  found  his  best 
throw  measured  only  no  feet — his  best  former 
record  being  130  odd.  He  kept  on  systematically 
working  then  at  both  weights,  but  he  soon  noticed 
that  the  shot  went  down  as  the  hammer  went  up, 
so  that  in  a  month  he  could  scarcely  do  40  feet. 
At  the  next  Yale- Harvard  contest  he  put  the  shot 
44  feet,  which  he  considered  a  lucky  performance 
— and  it  was  —  although  before  training  for  the 
hammer  event  for  the  same  contest  he  had  put 
the  shot  over  45  feet. 


PUTTING    THE    SHOT  8 1 

To  become  successful  in  this  event  requires 
long  and_  persistent  work,  just  as  in  hammer- 
throwing.  Shot-putting  is  a  great  science  to  de- 
velop, and  it  usually  takes  several  years  before  an 
athlete  can  really  become  proficient  in  the  event. 
The  beginner  must  first  strengthen  his  arms,  giv- 
ing particular  attention  to  the  development  of  the 
triceps  and  deltoids.  This  is  best  accomplished 
by  work  on  the  parallel  bars,  and  by  pounding  a 
bag,  as  in  boxing.  The  latter  exercise  cultivates 
swiftness.  Sprinting  is  also  an  important  exer- 
cise for  a  shot-putter,  for  it  teaches  him  to  be  quick 
and  light  on  his  feet — a  most  important  feature  of 
the  general  preparation.  In  addition  to  these 
things  he  should,  of  course,  constantly  work  at 
putting  the  shot — in  the  gymnasium  in  winter, 
and  on  the  field  in  the  open-weather  months. 

The  shot  is  put  from  a  7  -  foot  circle,  along  4 
feet  of  the  circumference  of  which  is  placed  a 
board  4  inches  high.  This  is  the  so-called  front 
of  the  circle,  and  the  put  is  measured  from  this 
board  to  the  nearest  mark  made  in  the  ground  by 
the  shot.  A  fair  put  is  one  that  has  been  made 
without  any  part  of  the  competitor's  body  having 
touched  in  front  of  the  circle  or  on  the  top  of  the 
board  before  the  measurement  is  made.  A  put  is 
counted  a  foul  if  the  competitor  steps  over  the 
front  half  of  the  circle  or  on  the  board  before  the 
measurement  of  his  put  has  been  made — and  the 
foul  counts  as  a  trial. 


•••^l 


PUTTING   THE    SHOT 


From  instantaneous  photographs  of  W.  O.  Hickok 


84  TRACK    ATHLETICS    IN    DETAIL 

The  careful  athlete  will  always  spare  his  right 
arm  as  much  as  he  can.  For  instance,  when  he 
picks  up  the  shot  he  will  hold  it  in  his  left  hand, 
and  he  will  do  the  same  while  he  steps  into  the 
circle  and  gets  his  footing.  After  this  has  been 
secured  he  will  roll  the  shot  over  into  his  right 
palm — as  shown  in  illustration  No.  3  on  page  83 
— and  then  he  is  ready  to  start. 

Assuming  as  easy  a  position  as  possible,  let  the 
shot  be  well  balanced  in  the  right  hand.  Do  not 
grip  it  tightly.  In  starting  off,  as  shown  in  the 
fourth  illustration,  place  the  whole  weight  of  the 
body  upon  the  right  leg,  holding  your  left  arm  for- 
ward as  a  balance.  Then  take  a  quick  hop  with 
the  right  leg,  all  the  time  keeping  the  shot  as  near 
the  shoulder  as  possible.  Upon  alighting  after 
the  hop,  touch  your  left  foot  to  the  ground — and 
it  ought  to  fall  very  close  to  the  board  rim.  This 
is  the  position  shown  in  the  seventh  illustration. 
The  eighth  shows  the  next  movement,  which  is 
the  transposition  of  the  feet. 

The  correct  attitude  for  getting  across  the  circle 
on  this  hop  is  crouching.  Then,  as  soon  as  your 
left  foot  touches  ground,  you  bring  it  swiftly  back- 
ward, throwing  the  entire  right  side  of  the  body 
forward ;  and  you  turn  half  around,  so  that  the 
right  shoulder  will  be  in  the  exact  direction  in 
which  the  shot  is  to  be  put.  After  the  impetus 
upward  has  been  given  by  the  legs  and  body,  shoot 
the  arm  outward  with  all  the  force  at  your  com- 


PUTTING    THE    SHOT  85 

mand,  the  motion  being  just  such  a  one  as  you 
would  make  with  the  clinched  fist  against  the 
sparring-bag.  This  motion — the  change  of  feet, 
the  lift,  the  turn,  the  thrust — is  a  very  rapid  one, 
but  the  photographs  illustrate  it  very  well  in  the 
last  two  pictures  of  the  series.  Furthermore,  this 
movement  must  be  perfectly  uniform  from  begin- 
ning to  end,  with  no  jerks  and  hitches ;  but  it  takes 
long  practice  to  acquire  a  perfect  smoothness. 

The  shot  must  be  allowed  to  leave  the  hand 
easily,  and  the  forward  effort  of  the  put  must  be 
so  regulated  that  the  equilibrium  of  the  performer 
will  be  maintained.  The  perfect  performer  allows 
his  body  to  bend  forward  just  to  that  point  where, 
should  he  go  half  an  inch  farther,  he  would  be 
forced  to  step  out  of  the  ring. 

The  beginner  should  practise  with  the  shot  for 
a  good  period  every  day.  He  should  work  until 
he  begins  to  feel  tired,  but  after  he  has  become 
master  of  the  event — say  in  a  year  or  so — he  need 
practise  but  two  or  three  times  a  week,  and  he 
will  find  that  his  form  and  powers  are  thus  best 
retained. 

In  England  the  university  athletes  put  the 
shot  from  a  lo-foot  square  instead  of  a  j-foot  cir- 
cle. This  gives  them  a  certain  advantage  over 
American  athletes,  for  they  get  a  longer  run,  and 
thus  more  speed,  and  hence  a  greater  momentum 
at  the  end.  Hickok  can  put  the  shot  from  two  to 
three  feet  farther  from  a  zo-foot  square  than  he 


86  TRACK    ATHLETICS    IN    DETAIL 

can  from  a  7  -  foot  circle,  and  with  practice  he 
believes  that  he  could  do  even  better.  If  an  un- 
limited run,  or  series  of  hops,  were  allowed,  the 
record  for  putting  the  shot  would  certainly  be 
much  greater  than  it  is  at  present ;  but  there  is  no 
doubt  that  the  average  form  of  athletes  who  take 
part  in  this  event  would  be  very  much  lower  than 
it  is  now  with  the  present  scientific  restrictions. 


THE    POLE   VAULT 


TRAINING  for  pole  vaulting  should  begin  in  the 
gymnasium  early  in  the  winter.  The  arm  and 
chest  ajid  dorsal  muscles  are  the  ones  that  must 
be  developed,  and  these  may  best  be  strengthened 
by  work  on  the  chest  weights,  rope  climbing,  dip- 
ping on  the  parallel  bars,  and  by  using  the  travel- 
ling parallels.  If  you  have  no  gymnasium  to  work 
in,  a  good  exercise  is  to  stand  four  or  five  feet  off 
from  the  wall  of  your  room  and  to  fall  forward 
on  your  hands  and  then  push  yourself  back  into 
an  erect  position.  Do  this  a  few  times  at  first,  in- 
creasing the  number  as  you  grow  stronger.  Sprint- 
ing is  also  as  necessary  an  exercise  for  the  pole 
vaulter  as  it  is  for  the  broad  jumper.  When  the 
weather  moderates,  work  should  be  begun  and 
continued  daily  out-of-doors. 

For  practice  the  vaulter  must  have  two  square 
posts  similar  to  those  used  by  the  high  jumper, 
only  higher,  bored  with  holes  two  inches  apart 
above  6  feet,  then  one  inch  apart  up  to  8  feet,  and 
half  an  inch  apart  from  there  up.  The  pegs 
should  be  between  two  and  three  inches  long,  and 


88 


TRACK  ATHLETICS   IN   DETAIL 


the  bar  of  i-inch 
pine  should  be 
about  eleven 
feet  long.  I  say 
the  "bar,"  but 
it  were  better  to 
say  "  bars,"  for 
the  vaulter  will 
do  well  to  buy  a 
dozen  at  a  time, 
as  they  break 
very  easily.  The 
posts  are  placed 
ten  feet  apart  at 
the  end  of  the 
runway,  which 
should  be  made 
from  eight  to  ten  feet  wide,  and  as  long  as  pos- 
sible— say  fifty  feet.  Like  the  high-jumping  and 
broad -jumping  runways,  it  is  made  of  cinders, 
rolled  down  hard,  and  must  be  kept  well  damp- 
ened, so  that  it  may  be  springy.  Beyond  the 
posts  the  earth  should  be  turned  over  and  raked, 
so  as  to  make  a  soft  landing-place.  This  land- 
ing-box is  usually  divided  from  the  cinder-path 
by  a  sunken  board  running  perpendicular  to  the 
upright  posts,  and  across  their  bases. 

The  costume  for  a  pole  vaulter  should  consist 
of  an  entire  jersey  suit,  although  many  of  the  best 
men  seem  of  late  to  prefer  linen  trousers.  The 


W.   W.   HOYT    CLEARING    II    FT.  2^   IN. 


THE    POLE   VAULT 


89 


advantage  of  jersey  trousers  or  tights,  however,  is 
that  they  keep  the  legs  warm,  and,  consequently, 
the  muscles  more  limber.  The  shoes  are  the  reg- 
ular jumping  shoes,  made  of  kangaroo -skin,  and 
fitted  with  six  spikes  in  the  toes  and  two  spikes 
in  the  heel  of  the  foot  that  takes  off.  These  two 
spikes  should  be  fixed  at  the  extremities  of  a  di- 
agonal drawn  through  the  centre  of  the  heel,  to 
prevent  stone-bruising. 

The  best  vaulting-poles  are  made  of  selected, 
straight-grained  spruce,  and  are  somewhat  expen- 
sive, on  account  of  the  number  of  sticks  that  have 
to  be  destroyed  in  the  making  of  one  good  one. 
A  good  pole  costs  from  $4  to  $5.  It  should  be 
sixteen  feet  long,  and  fitted  with  an  iron  spike 
at  the  lower  end.  Having 
purchased  your  pole,  wind 
it  with  tape  for  a  distance 
of  three  or  four  feet  along 
that  part  where  it  is  to  be 
held  by  the  hands  in  vault- 
ing. 

When  you  first  begin  to 
vault,  it  is  best  to  place  the 
bar  at  about  6  feet,  and  to 
work  over  this  height  un- 
til you  have  mastered  the 
knack  of  the  event,  which 
is  undeniably  a  complicated 


one. 


MEASURING 


9o 


TRACK  ATHLETICS   IN   DETAIL 


As  in  high  and  broad  jumping,  the  athlete  must 
lay  out  his  take-off  and  his  run.  No  rule  can  be 
set  down  for  either  of  these  things.  Some  vault- 
;ers  like  a  long  run,  and  depend  entirely  upon 
speed  to  carry  them  over  the  bar,  while  others 
take  a  short  sprint,  and  throw  all  their  force  and 


energy  into  the  leap.  But  whichever  method  is 
adopted,  both  the  take-off  and  the  starting-point 
remain  fixed  spots  on  the  runway,  and  must  be 
experimented  with  until  found,  and  then  carefully 
fixed. 

Whether  in  practice  or  in  competition,  and  no 
matter  at  what  height  the  bar  may  be,  always 
measure  your  pole  before  vaulting.  This  is  done 


THE   POLE   VAULT  91 

by  stepping  up  to  the  posts  and  holding  the  pole 
upright  until  it  touches  the  bar.  Let  it  fall  back 
then,  and  grasp  it  with  the  lower  hand  one  foot 
below  the  point  where  it  touched  the  cross-piece. 
For  a  vaulter  who  takes  off  with  the  left  foot,  the 
lower  hand  is  the  left  hand.  For  a  man  who  takes 


off  with  the  right  foot,  it  is  just  the  other  way. 
For  the  sake  of  convenience  and  clearness,  let  us 
understand  that  we  are  now  speaking  of  one  who 
takes  off  with  the  left  foot. 

Having  measured  the  pole,  the  athlete  seizes  it 
with  both  hands,  thumbs  up,  the  left  hand  forward 
at  the  spot  indicated,  and  the  right  hand  from  2\ 
to  3  feet  farther  up.  He  then  retreats  to  the  spot 


92  TRACK   ATHLETICS   IN   DETAIL 

which  he  has  determined  upon  as  his  starting- 
point.  He  stands  in  the  middle  of  the  runway, 
with  the  pole  pointing  straight  at  the  uprights,  and 
he  fixes  his  eyes  on  the  bar.  From  this  moment 
he  does  not  remove  his  gaze  from  that  pine  stick, 
or  from  the  handkerchief  which  may  be  hanging 


from  it,  until  he  has  made  his  leap.  He  should 
never  look  to  see  where  he  is  placing  the  pole  to 
vault.  The  pole  will  take  care  of  itself. 

For  going  down  the  runway  with  the  pole, 
styles  differ.  Some  vaulters  hold  the  pole  well 
up  over  the  chest,  while  others  (like  Mr.  Buchholz 
in  the  accompanying  illustrations)  holds  the  pole 
well  down.  The  novice  will  find  it  better  to  keep 


THE   POLE   VAULT 


93 


his  right  or  higher  hand  well  up  under  his  head. 
The  athlete  starts  down  the  runway  at  full 
speed,  and  when  he  reaches  his  take-off  he  plants 
the  pole  firmly  into  the  ground  with  all  his  force, 
and  springs  straight  for  the  cross-piece.  The 
moment  his  body  leaves  the  ground  the  right  arm 


stretches  taut  (illustration  No.  3),  and  his  body 
swings  towards  the  pole.  The  motion  of  the  body 
as  it  rises  is  a  turning  one,  the  object  being  to 
twist  and  face  the  pole,  so  that  when  the  proper 
height  is  reached  the  back  will  be  towards  the 
bar,  so  that  the  heels  may  be  lifted  over. 

The  fourth  illustration  shows  the  vaulter  half- 
way up  from  the  ground  to  the  bar,  which  in  this 


94 


TRACK  ATHLETICS   IN   DETAIL 


case  was  at  9  feet.  He  has  turned  half  around, 
and  by  the  time  he  has  nearly  reached  this  height 
he  is  still  farther  around.  (Illustration  No.  5.) 
This  picture  shows  the  beginning  of  the  working 
of  the  arms  and  of  that  twist  which  is  so  neces- 
sary to  carry  the  body  over  at  great  heights.  The 


working  of  the  arms  begins  just  before  this  twist 
is  made,  and  consists  of  pulling  with  the  right 
arm  and  pushing  with  the  left.  This  lifts  the 
body,  and  the  twist  carries  it  over,  together  with  a 
strong  push  against  the  pole  at  the  last  moment, 
when  the  athlete  feels  his  upward  motion  is 
changing  to  a  fall. 

After  the  pole  has  been  let  go,  all  is  plain  sail- 


THE   POLE   VAULT 


95 


ing.  You  have  either  made  your  vault  or  you 
have  not,  and  all  you  have  to  do  is  to  fall  free,  or 
bring  down  the  bar  with  you.  No  effort  that  the 
athlete  can  now  make  to  avoid  the  bar  will  avail 
him,  as  the  motion  in  mid-air  is  practically  uncon- 
trollable after  the  pole  has  been  abandoned.  It 


is  easy  to  learn  how  to  fall  limp  into  the  soft  earth 
below,  and  there  is  never  any  danger  attending 
this  drop.  It  will  be  noticed  in  the  illustration 
that  the  twisting  motion  imparted  on  the  hither 
side  of  the  bar  turns  the  body  so  that  the  athlete 
falls  with  his  back  to  the  posts,  having  performed 
one  complete  gyration  in  mid-air. 

This  is  not  by  any  means  a  necessary  element 


96 


TRACK   ATHLETICS    IN   DETAIL 


of  the  event,  however,  for  many  men  drop  facing 
the  runway. 

It  is  not  permissible  in  vaulting  in  America  to 
move  the  upper  hand  on  the  pole.     The  lower 


BUCHHOLZ    MAKING   THE    INTERCOLLEGIATE    RECORD 


hand  may  be  brought  up,  and  Hoyt,  the  Harvard 
vaulter  who  won  that  event  at  the  Olympic  games 
of  1896,  usually  does  this.  In  England,  "climb- 
ing the  pole  "  is  allowed,  and  athletes  there  fre- 
quently bring  the  lower  hand  up  above  the  other. 
Some  of  them  manage  to  make  better  records  by 
this  method,  too. 


CLEARING   THE   BAR   AT    IO   FEET 


98  TRACK  ATHLETICS   IN   DETAIL 

When  training  for  this  event  the  novice  should 
not  vault  oftener  than  fifteen  times  a  day,  and  he 
should  never  work  with  the  pole  more  frequent- 
ly than  three  times  a  week.  On  the  intervening 
days  he  should  do  light  work  at  sprinting.  Take 
every  height  three  times,  and  then  raise  the  bar, 
as  it  is  frequently  possible  for  a  man  to  clear  a 
higher  mark  after  failing  at  the  point  below.  On 
one  day  each  week  try  to  see  how  high  you  can  go. 


BICYCLING 


BICYCLING    FOR    MEN 


ALTHOUGH  bicycling  may  not  properly  belong 
in  the  same  class  with  the  track  and  field  sports 
treated  in  the  foregoing  chapters,  it  is  yet  a  sport 
so  universal  and  so  popular  at  the  present  day  that 
it  has  seemed  advisable  to  insert  a  few  chapters  on 
the  subject  in  this  volume.  It  is  a  fact  that  with 
all  the  bicycle  riding  done  in  this  country  to-day 
probably  half  the  riders  do  not  sit  their  wheels 
correctly,  and  consequently  increase  their  expendi- 
ture of  physical  labor  and  derive  less  benefit  from 
the  exercise. 

There  is  perhaps  still  a  question  as  to  what  is 
the  proper  position  for  the  best  and  healthiest 
bicycle  riding.  Some  good  riders  sit  in  one  posi- 
tion, have  one  length  of  pedal  stride,  and  use  one 
kind  of  ankle  motion;  while  others,  who  ride  just 
as  well,  believe  in  something  entirely  different,  and 
prove  it  by  riding  long  distances  or  at  great  speed 
without  either  injury  or  discomfort  to  themselves. 
The  suggestions  given  here  must  stand,  therefore, 
simply  as  suggestions,  which  can  only  be  proved 
by  each  individual  to  be  correct  after  he  has  fol- 


,102,. 


,   TRACK  ,  ATHLETICS    IN    DETAIL 


lowed  them  for  some  time,  and  has  found  them  of 
benefit  to  himself.  They  are  followed  by  many 
good  road  riders  and  racers,  and  that  is  some  rec- 
ommendation ;  and  for  the  practical  pleasure  of 
wheelmen  they  are  probably  as  good  as  can  be  had. 


CORRECT   ROAD    POSITION 


In  the  first  place,  it  is  taken  for  granted  that 
the  reader  rides  a  bicycle  for  pleasure,  not  as  a 
business ;  that  he  is  a  road  rider  and  not  a  racer 
a  cinder- track.  In  other  words,  it  is  for  the 


on 


amateur  road  rider  that  these  words  are  intended. 

Whoever,  therefore,  wishes  to  ride  correctly,  and 

with  the  greatest  ease  and  power,  should,  to  begin 


BICYCLING  FOR   MEN  103 

with,  take  the  ordinary  upright  position — such  a 
position  as  will  correspond  to  the  upright  position 
assumed  by  any  one  who  is  walking,  or  by  a  good 
horseman  in  the  saddle,  or  by  a  cross-country  run' 
ner  in  his  run.  The  prime  requisite  is  that  the 


INCORRECT    ROAD    POSITION 


lungs  should  have  ample  space  to  breathe  in. 
The  chest  ought  to  be  thrust  well  out,  the  shoul- 
ders thrown  back,  and  the  head  held  up,  so  that 
there  will  be  no  crowding  of  the  veins  that  send 
the  blood  into  the  head.  This  position  is  the 
same  as  that  assumed  when  horseback  riding. 

Of  course,  at  first  no  one  can  keep  himself  in 
this  position  all  the  time,  but  you  should  try  to 


104  TRACK    ATHLETICS    IN    DETAIL 

keep  as  near  it  as  you  comfortably  can.  Comfort 
is  really  the  basis  of  all  such  positions,  and  while, 
to  a  certain  extent,  comfort  is  the  result  of  habit, 
still  an  upright  position  is  more  natural  to  some 
riders  than  to  others. 

This  upright  seat  is  dependent  on  itself.  That 
is  to  say,  you  should  get  in  the  habit  of  taking  it 
so  easily  that,  supposing  you  could  ride  without 
handles,  you  would  sit  thus  nevertheless.  In 
other  words,  you  should  not  depend  on  your  grip 
on  the  handles  for  support.  The  hands  and  arms 
are  not  needed  as  you  sit  in  a  chair,  nor  as  you 
walk,  nor  as  you  ride  a  horse,  except  as  guides,  in 
one  case  to  guide  the  horse,  in  the  other  to  main- 
tain your  equilibrium  while  walking,  and  finally 
on  the  bicycle  to  steer  the  wheel  and  keep  your- 
self balanced  on  it.  A  glance  at  the  illustrations 
on  pages  102  and  103  will  show  the  difference  be- 
tween a  correct  and  an  incorrect  road  position. 
The  incorrect  position  shows  a  rider  "  leaning"  on 
his  hands  and  arms.  This  seat  is  a  very  common 
one,  unfortunately,  and  if  you  examine  the  next 
twenty  riders  you  meet,  especially  those  who  have 
ridden  fifteen  or  twenty  miles,  you  are  likely  to 
find  most  of  them  in  this  condition.  The  arms 
are  rigid,  the  body  is  leaning  on  them.  This 
thrusts  the  shoulders  back  until  the  shoulder- 
blades  touch  each  other.  The  lungs  and  neck 
are  pushed  forward,  and  almost  every  single  mus- 
cle and  nerve  in  the  upper  part  of  the  body  is  out 


BICYCLING    FOR    MEN  105 

of  place.  The  result  is  that  neither  heart  nor 
lungs  get  a  good  opportunity  for  action,  and  the 
shape  of  your  upper  body  is  slowly  but  surely  be- 
ing deformed.  In  the  other  position,  the  correct 
one,  the  rider  could  at  any  moment  take  his  hands 
from  the  handle-bar  and  not  alter  his  position  in 
any  way.  The  two  contrasted  speak  for  them- 
selves. 

It  may,  of  course,  be  said  that  when  a  rider  be- 
comes tired  with  riding,  the  incorrect  position  is  a 
great  rest.  In  the  first  place,  this  is  not  true  if  he 
has  faithfully  learned  to  ride  in  the  upright  seat. 
Then  the  other  becomes  uncomfortable.  In  the 
correct  position  the  wheelman  has  his  arms  a  trifle 
bent  at  the  elbow,  so  that  when  he  goes  over  any 
unevenness  in  the  road  his  arms  give,  and  he 
avoids  the  shaking  of  his  whole  body  by  the  jolt- 
ing, to  say  nothing  of  the  certainty  of  giving  his 
wheel  an  unpleasant  shaking-up. 

In  the  most  modern  bicycles  the  position  of  the 
rider  is  almost  that  of  a  pedestrian — that  is,  the 
pedals  are  almost  under  the  saddle,  so  that  he 
treads  directly  up  and  down.  This  helps  him  in 
keeping  his  seat  without  the  aid  of  hands  and 
arms,  and  it  makes  all  the  muscles  of  the  legs  and 
thighs  work  in  their  proper  places,  and  the  whole 
action  of  the  body  becomes  natural.  All  this  can 
be  seen  in  the  illustration  of  the  correct  position, 
and  there  can  hardly  be  a  question  that  this  is  the 
natural  position  for  a  man  to  take  when  he  mounts 


io6 


TRACK    ATHLETICS    IN    DETAIL 


his  wheel  for  a  run  of  a  few  miles.  It  naturally 
brings  part  of  the  weight  of  the  body  on  the 
pedals,  relieves  the  very  uncomfortable  weight  on 
the  saddle,  and  helps  a  rider  to  balance  himself 
without  the  use  of  handle-bars,  thus  avoiding  the 


CORRECT   SCORCHING 


"wriggling"  of  the  wheel,  which  is  so  tiresome 
and  so  deadening  to  a  steady  road  gait. 

The  racing  or  "scorching  "  position  is  a  difficult 
one  to  represent  in  a  photographic  reproduction, 
because  each  man  has  his  own  particular  ideas, 
and  as  most  men  who  race  make  a  study  of  the 
subject,  the  result  is  that  there  are  many  different 
theories.  The  general  principle  is,  however,  to  get 
a  strong  purchase  on  the  handles,  in  order  to  give 


BICYCLING    FOR    MEN 


ID/ 


yourself  greater  power  in  thrusting  down  on  the 
pedals,  and  at  the  same  time  to  curl  up  the  body  in 
order  to  give  as  little  resistance  to  the  air  as  pos- 
sible. Any  one  who  has  ridden  against  the  wind 
will  realize  what  an  enormous  difference  the  air 


INCORRECT    SCORCHING 


makes  in  his  speed,  and  this  is,  of  course,  multiplied 
when  the  rider  is  going  at  a  record-breaking  gait. 
But  there  are  correct  and  incorrect  racing  po- 
sitions, and  the  two  illustrations  on  these  pages  will 
give  a  suggestion  of  them.  A  "  scorching  "  posi- 
tion cannot  be  taken  on  a  bicycle  where  the  saddle 
and  handle-bars  have  been  arranged  for  the  up- 
right road  position.  In  the  correct  scorching  po- 
sition, shown  on  page  106,  the  handles  are  very 


io8 


TRACK    ATHLETICS    IN    DETAIL 


low  down,  and  the  seat  is  raised  and  tipped  for- 
ward, so  that  the  rider,  while  pulling  up  strongly 

on  the  handles,  is  practi- 
cally only  leaning  against 
the  saddle,  and  putting  all 
his  weight  on  the  pedals. 
The  back  is  curved  rather 
than  straight,  because  a 
much  greater  purchase  can 
be  obtained  in  this  way ; 
and,  indeed,  the  curved 
back  makes  a  much  more 
vigorous  and  symmetrical 
attitude. 

The  important  point  to 
remember  is,  that  you  can- 
not assume  the  scorching 

o 

position  and  the  upright 
road  position  on  the  same 
bicycle  without  changing 
the  handle-bars. 

To  start  out  for  an  af- 
ternoon run  through  the 

country  in  -a  scorching  position  is  absurd.  A  half- 
way position — one  between  the  upright  and  the 
scorching  position — is  worst  of  all. 

Another  important  point  in  road-riding  is  the 
height  of  the  saddle  above  the  lowest  point  in 
the  arc  described  by  the  pedals.  Experience  has 
shown  that  when  the  pedal  is  at  its  lowest  and 


INCORRECT  LENGTH  OF  REACH 


BICYCLING    FOR    MEN 


109 


you  are  sitting  squarely  on  the  saddle,  your  heel 
should  be  on  a  level  with  the  toe  of  the  boot  and 
your  knee  a  trifle  bent.  Or,  to  put  it  differently, 
it  should  be  possible  for  you  to  place  the  arch  of 


CORRECT  LENGTH  OF  REACH 


your  foot  on  the  pedal  and  follow  it  around  in  its 
circle  without  absolutely  straightening  your  leg  to 
its  utmost.  Or,  still  again,  as  other  people  describe 
it,  you  should  be  able  to  put  the  toe  of  your  shoe 
under  the  pedal  and  keep  it  there  all  the  way  round, 
the  leg  being  straightened  at  the  longest  stretch. 


110  TRACK    ATHLETICS    IN    DETAIL 

The  illustration  representing  this  shows  the  cor- 
rect length  of  stride,  and  by  referring  to  the  cut  on 
page  1 08  you  will  see  what  results  when  the  rider 
has  raised  his  seat  so  high  that  he  is  obliged  to  let 
his  toes  point  down  with  a  straight  leg  in  order  to 
follow  the  pedal  around.  The  illustration,  repre- 
senting too  long  a  stride,  shows  by  the  wrinkles  in 
the  rider's  trousers  and  shirt  that  the  rider  is  com- 
pelled to  lower  not  only  his  hips  but  his  whole  side 
and  shoulder,  and,  of  course,  the  same  action  is 
repeated  alternately  on  the  other  side.  As  these 
photographs  were  taken  by  an  instantaneous  slide, 
and  the  riders  were  in  motion,  they  are  all  actual 
positions  during  riding,  and,  as  such,  illustrate  ex- 
actly what  happens  in  each  case. 

In  the  matter  of  too  long  a  stride  there  is  real 
danger  to  health  in  the  long-run.  The  wheelman 
makes  many  thousand  revolutions  in  a  week,  and 
many  of  us  ride  throughout  a  good  part  of  the 
year,  and  any  one  can  see  in  a  moment  that  this 
constant  working  of  all  the  vital  parts  of  the  body 
must  be  anything  but  healthful.  Furthermore, 
aside  from  the  question  of  health  altogether,  a 
wheelman  becomes  quickly  tired  out  with  his  con- 
tinual shifting.  He  may  not  know  what  is  the 
cause  of  his  weariness,  but  it  is  sure  to  be  partly 
due  to  his  riding  in  that  way.  There  is  no  reason 
why  a  rider  should  want  to  have  a  long  stride. 
It  does  not  give  greater  speed,  and  it  actually  de- 
tracts from  the  power  of  his  stroke. 


BICYCLING    FOR    MEN  ill 

And  now  a  word  as  to  the  ankle  movement. 
The  force  applied  through  the  foot  to  the  pedal 
at  the  moment  when  the  latter  is  one-quarter  way 
round  the  circle  from  the  top,  or,  in  other  words, 
half-way  "  down,"  is  the  most  valuable  and  power- 
ful. Just  as  in  rowing,  the  strength  put  into  the 
oar  when  it  is  exactly  at  right  angles  with  the  boat 
is  the  most  valuable.  And,  furthermore,  the  earlier 
or  later  the  strength  is  applied  to  the  pedals  the 
less  and  less  powerful  it  becomes  so  far  as  sending 
the  wheel  ahead  is  concerned.  If  you  press  down 
hard  when  the  pedal  is  nearly  or  fully  down  to  its 
lowest  point  you  are  scarcely  sending  the  wheel 
ahead  at  all,  and  all  your  exertion  goes  for  noth- 
ing. Practically  speaking,  in  order  to  get  the  best 
of  your  strength  in  at  the  quarter-circle  point  you 
should  begin  to  push,  and  push  vigorously,  the 
moment  the  pedal  has  passed  by  its  highest  point. 
The  push  should  be  quick  and  short,  and  should 
stop  as  soon  as  possible  after  the  quarter-circle 
point  has  been  passed.  There  is  an  instant  of 
rest  there,  and  then  the  heel  should  be  raised  a 
little,  and  a  sharp  upward  and  backward  pull  made 
on  this  same  pedal  at  the  same  instant  that  the 
downward  push  is  being  made  on  the  other  pedal 
with  the  other  foot.  As  a  result,  the  rider  is  pull- 
ing up  with  one  foot  while  he  is  pushing  down 
with  the  other,  and  there  are  therefore  two  dis- 
tinct motions  with  each  leg  during  a  single  revo- 
lution of  the  pedal.  Many  riders  only  push  down- 


112  TRACK    ATHLETICS    IN    DETAIL 

ward,  and  allow  the  pedals  to  rise  of  their  own  im- 
petus, but  they  waste  a  part  of  the  force  of  each 
revolution  by  doing  this  —  not  one-half,  perhaps, 
but  fully  one-third  of  what  they  might  easily  put 
into  it. 

As  a  result  the  heel  takes  a  different  position 
relative  to  the  toe  at  different  parts  of  one  revolu- 
tion. At  the  top  and  bottom  the  two  are  on  the 
same  level,  but  the  heel  goes  down  quicker  than 
the  toe  and  comes  up  quicker.  This  is  very  tire- 
some for  the  beginner,  and  he  soon  finds  the  calves 
of  his  legs  aching  sharply ;  but  in  time  he  will  be- 
come accustomed  to  it,  and  the  increased  amount 
of  speed  which  he  gets  out  of  his  machine  will  be 
surprising  even  to  himself. 


BICYCLING    FOR    WOMEN 


IT  is  fully  as  important  that  women  should  ride 
properly  as  it  is  that  men  should  do  so,  and  if  they 
will  follow  carefully  the  few  words  of  instruction 
given  here  they  ought  to  find  little  trouble  in  be- 
coming masters  of  the  bicycle. 

When  sitting  on  a  bicycle  a  woman  should 
assume  an  upright  position,  practically  as  when 
walking.  The  saddle  should  be  broad  and  flat, 
and,  while  most  of  the  weight  of  her  body  rests 
upon  the  saddle,  it  is  nevertheless  true  that  she 
should  put  as  much  of  her  weight  upon  the  pedals 
as  possible ;  this  not  only  makes  riding  and  bal- 
ancing easier,  but  it  distributes  her  weight  over 
the  machine,  both  to  her  own  comfort  and  to  the 
safety  of  the  wheel.  Sitting  perfectly  upright,  she 
should  be  able  to  place  the  arch  of  her  instep 
squarely  on  the  pedal  when  it  is  at  its  lowest  point 
in  the  arc,  and  in  that  position  her  knee  should  be 
practically  unbent,  although,  it  is  perhaps  a  trifle 
better  if  the  knee  is  what  might  be  called  "sprung" 
a  little.  At  all  events,  the  body  should  not  sag 
from  one  side  to  the  other  as  the  pedals  turn,  and 


114  TRACK  ATHLETICS    IN    DETAIL 

when  the  rider  is  forcing  the  wheel  ahead  with  the 
ball  of  the  foot  on  the  pedal,  the  knee  will  never 
be  straightened  entirely  if  this  rule  is  followed. 

There  is  no  advantage  whatsoever  in  trying  to 
secure  a  long  reach ;  it  does  not  help  in  any  way, 
and  it  makes  it  more  difficult  to  send  the  machine 
ahead  either  faster  or  slower.  This  is  particularly 
noticeable  in  going  up  a  hill.  Women,  as  a  rule, 
do  not  have  the  fault  which  many  men  have  of 
leaning  forward  far  over  the  handle.  They  are 
more  apt  to  sit  upright  than  most  men ;  but  they 
have  one  fault  which  should  be  corrected,  and  that 
is  the  position  which  the  handles  occupy  in  rela- 
tion to  their  bodies.  A  girl  should  sit  upright, 
and  when  she  places  her  hands  on  the  handles 
her  arms  should  be  slightly  bent  at  the  elbow.  It 
is  a  common  thing,  however,  to  see  the  arms  so 
much  bent  that  the  forearm  forms  almost  a  right 
angle  to  the  upper  arm.  This  is  not  only  uncom- 
fortable, but  it  deprives  the  rider  of  the  purchase 
which  she  needs  when  forcing  the  machine  ahead 
or  going  up  a  hill.  In  other  words,  it  is  much 
more  difficult  to  pull  on  the  handles  when  the 
arms  are  bent  to  a  right  angle  than  when  they  are 
almost  straight.  On  the  other  hand,  the  fault  of 
leaning  the  weight  of  the  body  on  the  handle-bars 
should  be  avoided  with  the  utmost  care,  as  that 
forces  the  shoulders  back  and  the  chin  forward  on 
the  chest,  and  in  time  distorts  the  whole  symmetry 
of  the  upper  part  of  the  body. 


BICYCLING    FOR  WOMEN  115 

Mounting  and  dismounting,  especially  the  for- 
mer, should  not  be  tried  until  the  novice  has 
learned  to  keep  her  balance  easily  while  riding. 
Then  mounting  will  come  more  or  less  naturally, 
since  the  difficulty  in  this  operation  is  not  so  much 
to  get  on  the  machine,  as  to  start  the  wheel  soon 
enough  after  gaining  the  seat  to  avoid  falling  off. 


CORRECT   ROAD    POSITION 

To  begin  with,  a  woman  should  grasp  both  handle- 
bars firmly.  By  means  of  the  hands  the  bicycle 
should  be  held  absolutely  perpendicular,  neither 
leaning  towards  her  person  nor  away  from  it. 
Then,  standing  on  the  left  of  the  machine,  she 
should  step  over  the  gearing  with  her  right  foot 
and  place  it  on  the  right  pedal,  which  is  moved 
just  forward  of  its  highest  point  in  the  arc,  so  that 
the  first  pressure  which  comes  on  that  right  pedal 
will  force  the  machine  ahead  as  fast  as  possible. 


u6 


TRACK    ATHLETICS    IN    DETAIL 


Having  placed  her  right  foot  on  this  pedal,  with- 
out bearing  any  weight  on  it,  she  then  steps  into 
the  position  over  the  gearing  which  will  bring  her 
weight  as  nearly  as  possible  immediately  over  the 
centre  of  gravity  of  the  machine.  Having  ar- 


PREPARING   TO   MOUNT 


ranged  her  skirt  so  that  it  will  be  symmetrical 
when  she  mounts,  she  merely  rises  by  stepping  up 
on  the  right-hand  pedal,  and  sits  into  the  saddle 
by  a  slow,  easy  movement.  Her  weight  on  the 
right-hand  pedal  starts  the  machine  forward,  pulls 
the  saddle  in  under  her,  and  gives  the  velocity  to 


BICYCLING    FOR    WOMEN  117 

the  bicycle  which  she  needs  in  order  to  keep  her 
balance. 

One  of  the  most  important  things  about  wom- 
en's bicycle-riding  is  the  ability  to  dismount  not 
only  gracefully  but  at  once  in  case  of  necessity. 


JUST   AFTER    MOUNTING 

In  this,  as  in  mounting,  there  is  no  jump  any- 
where. The  rider  simply  catches  the  left  pedal 
as  it  begins  to  rise  from  the  lowest  point  in  the 
arc,  and,  bearing  her  weight  on  that  pedal,  allows 
herself  to  be  forced  upward  out  of  the  saddle. 
This  not  only  brings  her  into  a  position  to  step 


Il8  TRACK    ATHLETICS    IN    DETAIL 

out  of  the  machine,  but  also  brings  the  machine 
to  a  standstill,  or  practically  so,  unless  she  is  going 
at  a  high  rate  of  speed.  When  the  pedal  has 
nearly  reached  the  top,  and  the  machine  is  as  near 
a  standstill  as  possible,  she  steps,  still  bearing  her 


L. 


PROPER   ARRANGEMENT   OF    SKIRT 


weight  on  the  left  pedal,  out  on  the  left  side  of  the 
machine,  putting  her  right  foot  over  the  left  foot, 
and  letting  the  right  foot  strike  the  ground  first 
Both  mounting  and  dismounting  are  slow,  even 
movements;  there  is  no  quick  jump  about  them, 
and  the  motions  are  all  gradual.  As  soon  as  you 


BICYCLING    FOR    WOMEN 


attempt  to  leap  into  the  saddle,  or  leap  out  of  it,  you 
are  almost  certain  to  disturb  the  equilibrium  of  the 
bicycle  itself,  and  then  catastrophe  is  the  result. 
We  are  just  now  in  the  midst  of  a  change  in 


CORRECT   METHOD   OF   DISMOUNTING 

ideas  concerning  a  woman's  bicycle  costume.  No 
woman  who  has  ridden  ten  times  fails  to  complain 
of  skirts,  be  they  never  so  well  made.  They  catch 
in  the  rear  wheel.  They  make  a  sail  to  catch  all 
the  wind  when  the  wind  is  blowing  against  you, 
and  only  a  bicyclist  knows  what  a  head-wind  really 
means.  They  are  continually  in  the  way. 


120  TRACK    ATHLETICS    IN    DETAIL 

On  the  other  hand,  trousers  do  not  seem  just 
the  thing  for  girls  to  wear  to-day.  Some  time  we 
may  all  come  to  the  regulation  knickerbockers  for 
a  bicycle  costume,  but  just  at  present  a  woman 
who  wears  them  appears  to  be  immodest.  As  a 
matter  of  fact,  however,  modesty  and  ladylike  be- 
havior do  not  depend  on  the  costume,  but  on  the 
bearing  and  character  of  the  rider  herself,  and  it  is 
only  necessary  for  us  to  become  accustomed  to 
seeing  women  wearing  any  kind  of  a  bicycle  cos- 
tume to  think  it  the  proper  thing,  and  probably 
some  kind  of  bloomers  or  divided  skirt  is  less  no- 
ticeable and  more  modest  than  a  skirt  which  flies 
about  as  you  ride  along  the  road.  The  best  thing 
for  a  woman  then  is  a  divided  skirt  which  is  close 
fitting,  which  cannot  catch  in  either  wheel  or  in 
the  gearing  of  the  bicycle,  or  the  ordinary  gym- 
nasium bloomers.  Either  of  these,  especially  the 
latter,  is  much  better  from  a  hygienic  point  of 
view,  since  a  great  deal  of  the  strain  of  forcing  the 
machine  ahead  is  saved  by  them.  In  time  we  shall 
probably  have  a  regular  woman's  bicycle  costume, 
which  will  be  a  combination  of  knickerbockers 
and  bloomers,  and  then  when  people  once  become 
accustomed  to  it,  they  will  wonder  how  under  the 
sun  women  ever  rode  with  long  skirts. 

As  to  the  question  of  how  great  a  distance  a 
woman  shall  ride  in  a  day  the  answer  seems  very 
simple.  A  woman  must  remember  that  she  has 
not  been  accustomed  to  severe  physical  exercise, 


BICYCLING    FOR    WOMEN  121 

that  she  would  not  start  out  at  once  to  run  five 
miles  without  stopping,  and  that  she  consequently 
should  not  ride  ten  miles  on  a  wheel  either  the 
first  time  or  the  thirtieth  time.  This  seems  very 
simple  to  read  in  print,  but  the  fact  is  that  most 
girls  want  to  ride  fifteen  miles  as  soon  as  they  can 
get  along  on  a  road  by  themselves. 

The  difficult  thing  is  to  stop  just  before  you  be- 
gin to  feel  the  slightest  sensation  of  weariness. 
There  are  girls  who  can  ride  twenty,  forty,  or  sixty 
miles  in  a  day,  but  this  is  because  they  have  begun 
gradually,  and  increased  their  distances  by  degrees 
as  their  bodies  got  into  good  condition.  The 
average  girl  of  fifteen  ought  not  to  ride  more  than 
five  miles  in  any  one  day  until  she  has  taken 
thirty  rides  within  two  months  —  that  is  to  say, 
until  she  has  ridden  at  least  once  in  every  two 
days.  Then  she  should  not  exceed  ten  miles  in  a 
day,  or  at  one  time,  until  she  has  ridden  a  bicycle 
half  a  year.  After  this  she  can  estimate  about 
what  she  can  do  without  tiring  herself,  and  she 
can  gradually  work  up  to  twenty  miles  at  a  time, 
without  ever  having  that  fagged  feeling  which  is 
a  sure  sign  that  the  thing  has  been  overdone. 


THE    CARE    OF    A    WHEEL 


CONSIDERING  the  great  number  of  riders  of  the 
wheel  at  present,  it  is  astonishing  how  few  really 
know  anything  about  their  mounts.  A  casual 
visit  to  any  bicycle  repair  shop  will  conclusively 
dispel  all  doubts  as  to  the  truth  of  this  assertion. 
Here  you  will  find  long  lines  of  wheels  awaiting 
repairs,  some  of  the  damages,  of  course,  being  se- 
rious, but  the  majority  are  unruly  valves,  punctures, 
and  bearings  out  of  adjustment.  Particularly  no- 
ticeable is  the  number  of  wheels  in  which  a  slight 
knowledge  of  bicycle  construction  would  have  en- 
abled repairs  to  be  made  at  home. 

How  frequently  one  sees  a  rider,  wrench  in  hand, 
dubiously  surveying  his  wheel  at  arm's-length,  now 
tightening  a  nut  here  or  loosening  one  there,  in  a 
vain  endeavor  to  fix  in  this  manner  something  that 
is  out  of  order  and  prevents  his  wheel  from  run- 
ning properly!  But  beyond  this  fact  that  some- 
thing is  wrong,  he  has  not  the  slightest  idea  of 
the  nature  of  the  trouble. 

Or  again,  another  enthusiast  is  deluging  every 
visible  chink  in  his  bicycle  with  oil  in  the  hope 


THE   CARE   OF  A   WHEEL  12$ 

of  finding  some  mysterious  squeak,  the  location  of 
which  would  be  an  easy  matter  if  the  position  of 
the  different  bearings  were  understood.  It  is  con- 
ceded without  exception  by  all  wheelmen  that  a 
fair  knowledge  of  the  construction  of  a  wheel  is 
essential  to  its  proper  care. 

Perhaps  the  most  important  thing  to  be  consid- 
ered is  the  care  of  the  bearings.  In  the  advanced 
stage  which  bicycle  construction  has  reached  to- 
day there  are  a  large  number  of  ball-bearings  in 
a  machine — in  fact,  there  are  balls  wherever  there 
is  friction,  however  light.  These  bearings  should 
have  careful  adjustment.  Perhaps  a  glance  at  the 
sketch  of  a  wheel  bearing  will  make  the  construc- 
tion clearer.  Of  course  the 
bearings  of  different  makes  of 
wheel  vary,  but  the  principle 
is  the  same  in  all.  The  little 
steel  balls  are  the  only  medium 
by  which  the  weight  on  the 
bearing  is  transmitted  from 
the  rim  to  the  cone  (hub  and  axle).  To  have  the 
bearing  work  properly  and  with  the  least  possi- 
ble friction,  the  cone  must  not  be  screwed  in  so 
tightly  as  to  jam  the  balls  in  the  rim,  or  the  wheel 
will  run  hard;  at  the  same  time  it  must  not  be  un- 
screwed so  as  to  allow  too  much  play  of  the  balls, 
or  the  wheel  will  "  wobble."  Most  bearings  have 
a  flattening  on  the  projection  of  the  cone,  between 
the  hub  of  the  wheel  and  the  fork,  that  can  be 


SECTION    OF    BALL- 
BEARING 


124  TRACK    ATHLETICS    IN    DETAIL 

caught  by  a  wrench,  enabling  the  cones  to  be 
tightened  or  loosened  by  screwing  this  one  only. 
Some  have  a  thumb-screw  in  place  of  the  device 
mentioned,  and  other  makes  adjust  the  cones  by 
screwing  the  axle. 

In  the  adjustment  of  a  wheel's  bearings,  whether 
front  or  rear,  a  good  test  to  use  against  too  tight 
a  cone  is  to  raise  the  wheel  clear  of  the  ground, 
and,  turning  it  so  that  the  valve  of  the  tire  is  on 
top,  or  nearly  so,  see  if  the  weight  of  the  valve 
will  cause  the  wheel  to  rotate  so  that  the  valve  will 
describe  an  arc,  like  a  pendulum,  each  swing  grad- 
ually diminishing  in  length.  If  the  cone  is  proper- 
ly adjusted,  the  valve  should  swing  back  and  forth 
for  some  time.  Of  course  the  rear  wheel  will  not 
swing  as  long  as  the  front,  the  valve  having  to  im- 
part motion  to  the  sprocket  and  pedals.  If  the 
cones  are  too  loose,  by  gripping  the  wheel  by  the 
rim  you  will  be  able  to  slide  it  back  and  forth  on 
the  axle.  The  most  important  bearings  in  the 
whole  wheel  are  those  of  the  crank-axle.  Here 
the  whole  strain  of  the  propelling  power  comes. 
The  adjustment  of  these  cones  is  on  the  same 
principle  as  that  of  the  wheels ;  the  same  test 
may  be  used  as  for  the  rear  wheel.  The  two 
bearings  in  the  steering-head  may  be  adjusted  by 
screwing  the  cone  of  the  top  one,  and,  of  course, 
the  wheel  may  be  made  hard  steering  or  easy,  to 
suit  the  taste  of  the  rider.  This  is  not  a  matter 
of  material  importance.  The  adjustment  of  the 


THE   CARE   OF   A   WHEEL 


125 


pedal  bearings  is  not  of  so  great  importance,  but 
it  should  be  seen  to  that  they  run  evenly  and 
quietly,  as  it  is  at  this  point  that  the  propelling 
force  is  applied.  This  is  usually  accomplished  by 
tightening  or  loosening  the  outside  cone,  which 
may  be  gotten  at  by  removing  the  dust-cap. 

Perhaps  it  would  be  as  well  to  speak  here  about 


PARTS    OF   THE   WHEEL 

A.  Crank -axle.  B.  Front  Sprocket.  C.  Crank.  D.  Barrel.  E.  Pedal.  F.  Head. 
G.  Upper  Cone.  H.  Lower  Cone.  I.  Handle-bars.  J.  Grips  or  Handles.  K. 
Front  Hub  and  Axle.  L.  Handle-bar  Clamp.  M.  Saddle.  N.  Saddle-post.  O. 
Saddle -post  Clamp.  P.  Rear  Sprocket.  Q.  Rear  Hub  and  Axle.  R.  Chain. 
S.  Rear  Fork.  T.  Tire.  U.  Rim.  V.  Valve.  W.  Front  Forks.  X.  Crown. 


the  frequent  mishap  of  a  broken  ball  in  the  bear- 
ings. As  soon  as  one  is  found  broken,  waste 
no  time  in  removing  it;  one  ball  less  will  do  no 


126  TRACK    ATHLETICS    IN    DETAIL 

harm;  but  if  the  wheel  is  ridden  with  a  broken 
one,  it  will  soon  cut  the  cone  and  rim  all  to 
pieces. 

A  word  about  oiling.  Do  not  go  to  the  excess 
of  either  too  little  or  too  much  oil.  In  the  first 
case  the  cones  and  rim  will  wear  more  quickly  and 
the  bearings  run  hard;  and  in  the  latter  the  oil 
will  gum,  causing  hard  running,  or,  if  it  does  not 
do  this,  it  will  ooze  out  of  the  joint,  and,  collect- 
ing the  dust,  will  become  gritty  and  mar  it.  The 
amount  and  frequency  of  the  oiling,  of  course,  de- 
pend on  the  use  of  the  bicycle.  For  a  wheel  mod- 
erately used,  a  fair  oiling  once  a  wreek  will  be 
found  amply  sufficient.  Most  of  the  bearings 
have  openings  in  which  to  apply  the  oil,  and  the 
oil  should  not  be  applied  at  any  other  place  than 
these.  In  the  case  of  the  head  bearings,  unscrew- 
ing the  cone  of  the  upper  one  will  expose  it,  and 
will  permit  the  head  to  be  raised  so  as  to  ex- 
pose the  one  on  the  crown  for  oiling.  The 
pedals  may  be  lubricated  by  removing  the  dust- 
cap  and  applying  the  oil  on  the  outside  bearing, 
tilting  the  machine  so  that  it  will  run  down  to  the 
inside  one. 

To  have  the  bearings  in  first-rate  condition, 
they  should  be  cleaned  every  month  or  six  weeks. 
In  cleaning  them  the  cone  should  be  taken  out, 
carefully  wiped,  the  balls  put  in  kerosene  oil  to  re- 
move all  possible  grit,  and  the  rim  wiped  clean  of 
all  remains  of  previous  oilings.  The  easiest  ones 


THE  CARE   OF  A   WHEEL  127 

to  get  at  are  those  of  the  front  wheel  and  pedals. 
In  the  former  case,  all  that  is  necessary  is  to  undo 
the  nuts  and  spring  the  wheel  out  of  the  fork,  un- 
screwing the  movable  cone  and  taking  out  the 
axle.  In  the  pedals,  remove  the  dust-caps  and  the 
outside  cone,  and  slip  the  pedal  off.  The  rear 
wheel  is  a  little  more  troublesome,  the  chain  hav- 
ing to  be  removed  from  the  rear  sprocket  before 
the  wheel  can  be  taken  out.  To  remove  the  chain, 
unscrew  the  small  screw-bolt  that  holds  two  of  the 
links  together.  The  bearings  in  the  head  will 
also  be  a  little  troublesome,  as  it  is  necessary  to 
remove  the  handle-bars  and  top  cone  and  take 
out  the  front  fork.  The  only  remaining  bearings 
to  be  spoken  of — those  of  the  crank-axle — are  in 
some  respects  the  most  important  to  have  clean, 
and  at  the  same  time  the  most  difficult  to  get  at, 
as  it  is  necessary  to  take  off  the  cranks  before 
the  axle  can  be  removed  or  the  bearings  exposed. 
After  the  cranks  are  removed,  the  rest  is  usually 
an  easy  matter. 

To  give  any  general  rule  for  the  cranks'  removal 
is  impossible,  as  there  are  so  many  methods  in  use 
for  attaching  them  to  the  axle;  but  to  know  the 
way  to  remove  the  several  prominent  patterns 
may  be  useful.  We  will  select  four  ot  the  gen^ 
eral  methods,  and  these  will  suffice  to  cover  most 
of  the  ground.  These  may  be  best  understood 
from  a  study  of  the  accompanying  sketches.  First, 
the  most  common  way  of  putting  the  cranks  on 


128  TRACK    ATHLETICS    IN    DETAIL 

with  a  key  or  pin  is  shown  in  Fig.  i.     To  remove 
these,  unscrew  the  nut  on  the  pin  and  drive  it  out. 

This  may  be  done  at  home, 
but  as  a  rule  the  pins  are 
put  in,  or  become  wedged 
in,  so  tightly  that  it  is  fre- 
quently advisable  to  have 
them  driven  out  at  a  shop. 
In  the  absence  of  proper 
punches,  there  is  the  chance 

of  badly  mutilating  the  pin  in  removal.  The 
second  general  class  is  the 
clamp  attachment.  There 
are  several  patterns  in  use, 
but  the  one  shown  in  Fig. 
2  is  most  commonly  seen. 
To  free  it  from  the  axle  the 
bolt  is  removed,  and  it  is 
frequently  necessary  to  in- 
sert a  wedge  to  spring  the 

clamps  free  from  it.     In  the  third  class  the  crank 

fits  in  a  continuation  of 
the  axle,  usually  projecting 
a  little,  so  as  to  permit 
locking  with  a  nut,  as 
in  Fig.  3.  Sometimes  it 
passes  a  little  to  one  side 
of  the  centre,  and.  again, 
exactly  through  it.  The 
FlG>  3  fourth  and  general  class  is 


THE   CARE   OF  A   WHEEL 


I29 


FIG.  4 


where  the  axle  and  cranks  are  made  in  two  forg- 
ings,  as  shown  in  Fig.  4  (the  sketch  represents  a 
cross-section  of  the  barrel),  the 
part  shown  being  half,  and  the 
two  sections  fitting  together  by 
teeth.  These  cranks  are  re- 
moved by  unscrewing  in  the  op- 
posite direction  to  which  they 
revolve  in  the  propulsion  of  the 
machine. 

The  next  part  of  the  wheel  we  will  turn  our  at- 
tention to  is  the  chain  —  the  medium  through 
which  the  motion  is  imparted 
from  the  driving-gear  to  the  rear 
sprocket.  Frequently  after  a  long 
ride  on  rough  roads,  or  perhaps  a 
few  days  of  usage,  the  chain  will 
be  found  to  have  slackened  up 
considerably.  There  are  many 
devices  in  use  for  taking  up  this  slack — all  of 
them,  however,  working  on  the  principle  of  mov- 
ing the  rear  axle  back  and  forth, 
and  being  more  or  less  improve- 
ments of  a  few  general  patterns. 
In  the  device  represented  by  Fig.  5, 
after  loosening  the  nut,  the  axle  is 
moved  backward  or  forward  by  turn- 
ing the  screw  in  the  proper  direction. 
If  it  is  desired  to  move  the  axle  back  (Fig.  6)  the 
screw  is  tightened,  or  if  it  is  desirable  to  move  it 

9 


FIG.  5 


FIG.  6 


130 


TRACK    ATHLETICS    IN    DETAIL 


FIG.  7 


forward  (nearer  the  cranks),  the  screw  is  un- 
screwed, and  the  axle  pushed  forward  by  gentle 
taps  with  a  wrench.  In  the  method  represented 
by  Fig.  7  the  whole  bar  swings  with  the  axle. 
This  adjustment  is  tightened  or 
loosened  in  the  same  manner  as 
the  preceding  one,  with  the  ex- 
ception that  the  nut  on  the  bolt 
holding  the  upper  end  of  the 
bars  has  to  be  loosened  a  trifle. 
In  the  arrangement  shown  in 
Fig.  8  the  axle  is  adjusted  with- 
out the  aid  of  a  screw.  When  in  the  right  place, 
it  is  held  by  the  tightening  of  the  nuts,  teeth  in 
the  washer  engaging  others  around  the  edge  of 
the  slot. 

No  part  of  the  machine  collects  the  dirt  more 
quickly  than  the  chain,  it  being  found  liberally 
sprinkled  with  grit  after  every 
ride.  As  long  as  it  runs  smooth- 
ly and  quietly  it  does  no  harm, 
though  when  it  gets  rather  thick 
it  would  be  best  to  wipe  it  lightly 
with  a  rag  or  a  stiff  brush.  When 
a  chain  is  dry  or  very  dirty  it 
shows  a  tendency  to  kink,  at  the 
same  time  producing  a  rattling  noise,  joined  with 
sharp  snappings.  When  in  this  condition,  it 
should  have  a  thorough  cleaning.  First  wipe 
with  a  rag,  and  then  remove  the  chain  from  the 


FIG.  8 


THE   CARE   OF  A   WHEEL  131 

sprockets ;  put  it  in  kerosene  oil  to  soak,  wip- 
ing dry  with  a  rag.  The  only  troublesome  part 
of  the  cleaning  operation  will  be  to  replace  the 
chain.  This  is  effected  by  passing  one  of  the  ends 
of  it  over  the  rear  sprocket,  joining  them  with  the 
screw-bolt;  then,  catching  some  of  the  links  on  the 
top  teeth  of  the  front  sprocket,  revolve  it,  and  this 
will  spring  the  chain  on. 

The  mention  of  a  "dry"  chain  brings  up  the 
subject  of  chain  lubricants.  There  are  a  great 
many  on  the  market,  and  riders  differ  in  opinion  as 
to  their  relative  merit.  Two  facts  are  clear,  how- 
ever. If  a  lubricant  is  too  liquid  it  collects  grit 
very  quickly ;  on  the  other  hand,  if  too  dry,  it  does 
not  work  in  the  joints  of  the  chain  properly.  Oil, 
for  this  reason,  is  obviously  very  bad,  and  should 
only  be  used  on  the  road  when  a  chain  unexpect- 
edly runs  dry  or  hard.  The  prominent  constituent 
of  most  lubricants  is  graphite,  the  different  makes 
varying  usually  in  the  amount  of  oil  or  other  dis- 
solving agent  contained.  Some  wheelmen  recom- 
mend powdered  graphite  alone,  but  my  experience 
has  found  a  mixture  of  graphite  and  oil  having 
about  the  constituency  of  vaseline  to  be  very  satis- 
factory. All  lubricants,  however,  should  be  ap- 
plied in  the  same  manner.  Rest  the  step  of 
the  bicycle  on  a  box  or  chair,  so  that  the  rear 
wheel  may  revolve  freely,  and  apply  the  lubricant 
rather  sparingly ;  too  much  will  only  serve  to  col- 
lect dirt.  Spin  the  wheel  rapidly  for  a  minute,  so 


132  TRACK    ATHLETICS    IN    DETAIL 

as  to  permit  it  to  work  into  the  joints,  and  then, 
slowly  revolving,  wipe  the  waste  off  the  top  of  the 
chain. 

We  have  now  reached  in  our  discussion  of  the 
bicycle  a  part  just  as  essential  to  the  running  abil- 
ity as  anything  previously  mentioned — the  tires. 
On  account  of  the  wear  and  tear  upon  the  tires, 
from  one  cause  or  another,  they  require  much 
care.  It  is  the  tires  that  take  up  the  jolts  from 
the  inequalities  of  the  road,  and  upon  their  proper 
degree  of  inflation  depends  the  easy  running  of 
the  wheel.  Quite  a  study  may  be  made  of  this, 
the  pressure  varying  for  the  different  uses  the 
wheel  is  to  be  put  to.  Without  exception  the  rear 
tire  should  be  harder  than  the  front ;  if  the  latter 
is  more  tightly  inflated  than  need  be,  it 
creates  unnecessary  jarring,  which  mani- 
fests itself  in  a  numbing  of  the  wrists. 
For  riding  over  city  pavements  the 
softer  the  tires,  without  endangering  the 
THE  VALVE  rims,  the  less  jolting;  but  on  good  roads 
hard  tires  are  best,  as  there  is  less  fric- 
tion, because  a  smaller  surface  is  presented  to  the 
ground.  From  the  inflation  we  will  turn  to  the 
valve,  the  most  important  part  of  the  tire.  This 
is  frequently  a  source  of  much  annoyance  from 
leakage.  Whenever  in  doubt  as  to  the  valve's 
effectiveness,  immerse  it  in  water,  and  the  air- 
bubbles  will  soon  show  the  size  and  location  of  a 
leak,  if  there  is  one. 


THE   CARE   OF  A   WHEEL  133 

In  all  experiences  with  pneumatic  tires  you  will 
find  water  the  greatest  enemy  of  leaks,  and  in  all 
cases  where  one  is  of  sufficient  size  to  be  an  an- 
noyance, water  will  surely  locate  it.  The  weak 
point  in  most  valves  seems  to  lie  in  the  plunger 
that  closes  the  opening  through  which  the  air  is 
admitted.  Most  valves  work  on  the  principle  ex- 
plained in  the  sketch.  When  the  air  is  forced  in, 
the  plunger  A  is  pushed  down,  admitting  the  air 
into  D,  and  so  into  the  tire ;  and  when  the  down- 
ward stroke  of  the  pump  ceases,  the  spring  B, 
assisted  by  the  pressure  of  the  air  in  the  tire,  is 
supposed  to  push  A  tightly  up  against  the  parti- 
tion E,  and  so  close  the  opening.  Right  here  the 
trouble  occurs.  For  various  reasons  the  spring 
sometimes  does  not  push  the  plunger  up,  and  if 
the  pressure  is  not  sufficient  to  do  it,  when  the 
pump  is  removed  the  air  forced  in  with  so  much 
labor  blows  out  in  a  few  seconds.  In  this  case, 
first  drop  a  little  benzine  in,  as  perhaps  the  valve 
may  be  dirty  or  stuck  in  some  manner;  and  if  this 
has  not  the  desired  effect,  it  will  be  necessary  to 
remove  the  valve.  This  annoyance  is  most  com- 
monly caused  by  the  spring  becoming  too  much 
compressed,  but  this  may  be  remedied  by  removing 
the  spring  and  stretching  it  a  little.  Frequently 
the  plunger  becomes  jammed  against  E,  and  in 
pushing  it  in  it  disappears  entirely  within  the  body 
of  the  valve.  Here  also  it  is  often  necessary  to 
take  the  valve  apart. 


134  TRACK    ATHLETICS    IN    DETAIL 

Puncture  is  a  word  that  makes  every  wheel- 
man wince.  A  little  hole  in  the  tire  makes  the 
bicycle,  which  a  few  seconds  before  was  a  means 
of  travelling,  a  useless  encumbrance.  But  in  this 
case  it  does  not  always  follow  that  it  is  an  encum- 
brance, for  if  a  pocket  repair  kit  is  carried,  or 
the  rider  can  make  the  best  use  of  things  at  his 
disposal,  some  kind  of  stoppage  of  the  escape  of 
wind  can  frequently  be  effected.  The  single  tube, 
or  "  hose-pipe,"  is  the  easiest  to  patch  up  on  the 
road.  The  leakage  can  usually  be  stopped  by 
cementing  a  piece  of  rubber  over  the  puncture 
and  binding  it  on  securely  with  tire  tape.  Per- 
haps if  the  rider  is  skilled  he  may  effect  a  per- 
manent repair  by  plugging  it.  Now  a  hint  to  the 
rider  who  goes  on  the  road  with  only  a  wrench  in 
his  pocket ;  and  if  he  is  given  to  the  chewing-gum 
habit,  it  may  be  of  use.  A  very  novel  and  effec- 
tive repair  for  a  single-tube  tire  may  be  made  by  a 
little  chewing-gum  and  some  bandages.  After 
locating  the  opening,  apply  some  freshly  chewed 
gum  and  work  it  in,  leaving  a  fair-sized  piece  on 
the  tire,  and  bind  it  with  a  handkerchief,  if  nothing 
better  offers. 

Sometimes  it  is  difficult  to  locate  a  puncture 
when  on  the  road.  After  examining  the  tire  and 
noting  the  likely  places,  apply  saliva  at  these  spots, 
and  when  the  right  one  is  found,  bubbles  will  be 
noticed. 

The   permanent  repair  of  a  double -tube   tire 


THE   CARE   OF   A   WHEEL  135 

is  to  patch  the  inner  one.  Let  the  air  out,  and 
if  the  tire  is  "cemented"  pull  it  off,  and  if  a 
"  clincher,"  spring  it  off,  being  careful  in  pushing 
the  valve  through  the  hole  in  the  rim.  If  it  is  the 
"clincher"  pattern  the  inner  tube  may  be  readily 
removed,  but  if  a  "cemented"  tire  it  is  a  trifle 
more  difficult.  In  the  latter  there  is  a  slit  about 
eight  inches  long  in  the  outer  tube,  where  the 
valve  comes  through,  which  is  held  together  with 
lacing.  Cut  this  lacing,  and  the  two  ends  of  the 
inner  tube  will  be  seen  to  come  together  there. 
Fasten  a  string  to  one  end,  and,  catching  hold  of 
the  other  end,  pull  the  tube  out,  being  careful  to 
leave  the  string  in  the  casing.  When  removed 
inflate  tightly,  and,  grasping  firmly  a  section  be- 
tween your  hands  about  a  foot  long,  immerse  in 
water  and  stretch  to  the  utmost ;  and  if  the  punct- 
ure is  in  this  section,  this  will  sufficiently  enlarge 
it  to  permit  the  free  escape  of  bubbles.  Continue 
in  this  way  throughout  the  whole  tube,  and  when 
the  puncture  is  located,  bite  a  little  piece  of  the 
rubber  out  from  around  it,  so  that  it  may  be  more 
readily  found ;  let  the  air  )ut,  and  cut  a  piece  of 
rubber  to  fit  over  the  hole,  covering  the  edges  of 
the  puncture  and  this  piece  with  a  rubber  cement 
made  for  this  purpose ;  and  when  a  trifle  dry, 
place  the  patch  on  and  put  a  weight  on  top.  In- 
flate and  test  in  water  for  leaks,  and  if  all  is  right 
let  the  air  out  and  fasten  one  end  to  the  string, 
which  was  carried  into  the  outer  tube  on  the  re- 


136  TRACK    ATHLETICS    IN    DETAIL 

moval  of  the  inner  one,  and  by  this  haul  it  in 
place  again,  lacing  up  the  slot  with  string.  In- 
flate again,  and,  after  covering  the  rim  of  the 
wheel  with  cement,  place  it  on  and  let  it  dry,  re- 
volving the  wheel  with  the  rim  and  tire  in  water 
so  as  to  make  the  cement  set. 

The  method  of  making  permanent  repairs  in  a 
hose-pipe  or  single-tube  tire  is  simple — namely,  by 
plugging.  A  rubber  plug  with  a  head  like  a  rivet 
is  covered  with  cement  and  inserted  in  the  punct- 
ure, head  inside  the  tire ;  and  when  it  sets,  the 
projecting  part  on  the  exterior  is  trimmed  off 
evenly. 


APPENDIX 


EXTRACTS  FROM  THE  ATHLETIC  RULES 


OF   THE 


AMATEUR      ATHLETIC      UNION 


RULE   I.— OFFICIALS 

SECTION  i.  All  amateur  meetings  shall  be  under  the  direc- 
tion of 

A  Games  Committee, 

One  Referee, 

Two  or  more  Inspectors, 

Three  Judges  at  Finish, 

Three  or  more  Field  Judges, 

Three  or  more  Time-keepers, 

One  Judge  of  Walking, 

One  Starter, 

One  Clerk  of  the  Course, 

One  Scorer, 

One  Marshal. 

SEC.  2.  If  deemed  necessary,  assistants  may  be  provided  for 
the  Judge  of  Walking,  the  Clerk  of  the  Course,  the  Scorer  and 
the  Marshal,  and  an  Official  Announcer  may  be  appointed. 

RULE    HI.— THE  REFEREE 

shall  decide  all  questions  relating  to  the  actual  conduct  of  the 
meeting,  whose  final  settlement  is  not  otherwise  covered  by  these 
rules. 

He  alone  shall  have  the  power  to  change  the  order  of  events 
as  laid  down  in  the  official  programme,  and  to  add  to  or  to  alter 
the  announced  arrangement  of  heats  in  any  event.  A  referee 


140  APPENDIX 

has  no  authority,  after  heats  have  been  duly  drawn  and  pub- 
lished in  a  programme,  to  transfer  a  contestant  from  one  heat  to 
another. 

When  in  any  but  the  final  heat  of  a  race  a  claim  of  foul  or 
interference  is  made,  he  shall  have  the  power  to  disqualify  the 
competitor  who  was  at  fault,  if  he  considers  the  foul  intentional, 
or  due  to  culpable  carelessness,  and  shall  also  have  the  power  to 
allow  the  hindered  competitor  to  start  in  the  next  round  of  heats, 
just  as  if  he  had  been  placed  in  his  trial. 

When  in  a  final  heat  a  claim  of  foul  or  interference  is  made,  he 
shall  have  the  power  to  disqualify  the  competitor  who  was  at 
fault,  if  he  considers  the  foul  intentional,  or  due  to  culpable  care- 
lessness, and  he  shall  also  have  the  power  to  order  a  new  race 
between  such  of  the  competitors  as  he  thinks  entitled  to  such  a 
privilege. 

If,  during  any  athletic  contest  under  the  rules  of  the  Amateur 
Athletic  Union,  a  competitor  shall  conduct  himself  in  a  manner 
unbecoming  a  gentleman,  or  offensive  to  the  officials,  spectators, 
or  competitors,  the  referee  shall  have  the  power  to  disqualify 
him  from  further  competition  at  the  meeting. 

RULE   V.— THE  JUDGES   AT    FINISH 

shall  determine  the  order  of  finishing  of  contestants  and  shall 
arrange  among  themselves  as  to  noting  the  winner,  2d,  3d,  4th, 
etc.,  as  the  case  may  require. 

Their  decision  in  this  respect  shall  be  without  appeal,  and  in 
case  of  disagreement  a  majority  shall  govern. 

RULE   VI.— THE   FIELD  JUDGES 

shall  make  an  accurate  measurement,  and  keep  a  tally  of  all  com- 
petitors in  the  high  and  broad  jumps,  the  pole  vault,  the  weight 
competitions,  and  the  tug  of  war. 

They  shall  act  as  judges  of  these  events,  and  their  decisions 
shall  likewise  be  without  appeal.  In  case  of  disagreement  a  ma- 
jority shall  govern. 

RULE   VII.— THE  TIME-KEEPERS 

shall  be  three  in  number.  They  shall  individually  time  all  events 
where  time  record  is  required,  and  determine  among  themselves 
and  announce  the  official  time  of  each  heat  or  race. 

Should  two  of  the  three  watches  mark  the  same  time  and  the 


APPENDIX 


141 


third  disagree,  the  time  marked  by  the  two  watches  shall  be  ac- 
cepted. Should  all  three  disagree,  the  time  marked  by  the  in- 
termediate watch  shall  be  accepted. 

TheJlasA  of  the  pistol  shall  denote  the  actual  time  of  starting. 

If,  for  any  reason,  only  two  watches  record  the  time  of  an 
event,  and  they  fail  to  agree,  the  longest  time  of  the  two  shall  be 
accepted.  For  record,  however,  three  watches  must  be  held  on 
an  event. 

RULE  VIII.— THE   STARTER 

shall  have  sole  jurisdiction  over  the  competitors  after  the  Clerk  of 
the  Course  has  properly  placed  them  in  their  positions  for  the  start. 

The  method  of  starting  shall  be  by  pistol  report,  except  that  in 
time  handicap  races  the  word  "go"  shall  be  used. 

An  actual  start  shall  not  be  effected  until  the  pistol  has  been 
purposely  discharged  after  the  competitors  have  been  warned  to 
get  ready. 

When  any  part  of  the  person  of  a  competitor  shall  touch  the 
ground  in  front  of  his  mark  before  the  starting  signal  is  given, 
it  shall  be  considered  a  false  start. 

Penalties  for  false  starting  shall  be  inflicted  by  the  Starter,  as 
follows : 

In  all  races  up  to  and  including  125  yards  the  competitor  shall 
be  put  back  one  yard  for  the  first  and  another  yard  for  the 
second  attempt ;  in  races  over  125  yards  and  including  300  yards, 
two  yards  for  the  first  and  two  more  for  the  second  attempt; 
in  races  over  300  yards  and  including  600  yards,  three  yards  for 
the  first  and  three  more  for  the  second  attempt ;  in  races  over 
600  yards  and  including  1000  yards,  four  yards  for  the  first  and 
four  more  for  the  second  attempt ;  in  races  over  1000  yards  and 
including  one  mile,  five  yards  for  the  first  and  five  more  for  the 
second  attempt ;  in  all  races  over  one  mile,  ten  yards  for  the  first 
and  ten  more  for  the  second  attempt.  In  all  cases  the  third  false 
start  shall  disqualify  the  offender  from  that  event. 

The  Starter  shall  also  rule  out  of  that  event  any  competitor 
who  attempts  to  advance  himself  from  his  mark,  as  prescribed 
in  the  official  programme,  after  the  Starter  has  given  the  warn- 
ing to  "get  ready." 

RULE   IX.— THE   CLERK  OF  THE  COURSE 

shall  be  provided  with  the  names  and  the  numbers  of  all  entered 


142  APPENDIX 

competitors,  and  he  shall  notify  them  to  appear  at  the  starting- 
line  before  the  start  in  each  event  in  which  they  are  entered. 

In  case  of  handicap  events  from  marks,  he  shall  place  each 
competitor  behind  his  proper  mark;  shall  immediately  notify 
the  Starter  should  any  competitor  attempt  to  advance  himself 
after  the  Starter  has  warned  them  to  "get  ready";  and  in  time- 
allowance  handicaps  shall  furnish  the  Starter  with  the  number 
and  time  allowance  of  each  actual  competitor. 

He  shall  control  his  assistants,  and  assign  to  them  such  duties 
as  he  may  deem  proper. 

RULE  X.— THE  JUDGE  OF  WALKING 

shall  have  sole  power  "to  determine  the  fairness  or  unfairness  of 
walking,  and  his  rulings  thereon  shall  be  final  and  without  appeal." 

He  shall  caution  any  competitor  whenever  walking  unfairly; 
the  third  caution  to  disqualify,  except  that  he  shall  immediately 
disqualify  any  competitor  when  walking  unfairly  during  the  last 
220  yards  of  a  race. 

He  shall  control  his  assistants,  and  assign  to  them  such  of  his 
duties  as  he  may  deem  proper. 

RULE   XIX. — HURDLES 

Different  heights,  distances,  and  number  of  hurdles  may  be  se- 
lected for  hurdle  races. 

In  the  120-yard  hurdle  race,  ten  hurdles  shall  be  used  ;  each 
hurdle  to  be  three  feet  six  inches  high.  They  shall  be  placed  ten 
yards  apart,  with  the  first  hurdle  fifteen  yards  distant  from  the 
starting-point,  and  the  last  hurdle  fifteen  yards  before  the  finish- 
ing-line. In  the  220-yard  hurdle  race  ten  hurdles  shall  be  used, 
each  hurdle  to  be  two  feet  six  inches  high.  They  shall  be  placed 
twenty  yards  apart,  with  the  first  hurdle  twenty  yards  distant 
from  the  starting-mark,  and  the  last  hurdle  twenty  yards  before 
the  finishing-line. 

In  making  a  record  it  shall  be  necessary  for  the  competitor  to 
jump  over  every  hurdle  in  its  proper  position. 

In  all  championship  hurdle  races  of  the  A.  A.  U.,  or  any  of  its 
Associations,  up  to 'arid  including  300  yards,  each  competitor 
shall  have  separate  hurdles  and  a  separate  course  marked  out 
and  measured  independently,  whether  races  are  run  straightaway 
or  with  turns. 


APPENDIX  143 

RULE  XXI.— JUMPING 

SECTION  i.  A  /air  jump  shall  be  one  that  is  made  without  the 
assistance  of  weights,  diving,  somersaults,  or  hand  springs  of  any 
kind. 

SEC.  2.  THE  RUNNING  HIGH  JUMP.  — The  Field  Judges  shall 
decide  the  height  at  which  the  jump  shall  commence,  and  shall 
regulate  the  succeeding  elevations. 

Each  competitor  shall  be  allowed  three  trial  jumps  at  each 
height,  and  if  on  the  third  trial  he  shall  fail,  he  shall  be  declared 
out  of  the  competition. 

At  each  successive  height  each  competitor  shall  take  one  trial 
in  his  proper  turn ;  then  those  failing,  if  any,  shall  have  their 
second  trial  jump  in  a  like  order,  after  which  those  having  failed 
twice  shall  make  their  third  trial  jump. 

The  jump  shall  be  made  over  a  bar  resting  on  pins  projecting 
not  more  than  three  inches  from  the  uprights,  and  when  this  bar 
is  removed  from  its  place  it  shall  be  counted  as  a  trial  jump. 

Running  under  the  bar  in  making  an  attempt  to  jump  shall 
be  counted  as  a  "balk,"  and  three  successive  "balks"  shall  be 
counted  as  a  trial  jump. 

The  distance  of  the  run  before  the  jump  shall  be  unlimited. 

A  competitor  may  decline  to  jump  at  any,height  in  his  turn,  and, 
by  so  doing,  forfeits  his  right  to  again  jump  at  the  height!  declined. 

SEC.  4.  THE  RUNNING  BROAD  JuMp.^r-Wfcen  jumped  on  earth 
a  joist  five  inches  wide  shall  be  sunk  flush  with  it.  The  outer 
edge;of  this  joist  shall  be  called  the  scratch  line,  and  the  measure- 
ment of  all  jumps  shall  be  made  from  it  at  right  angles  to  the 
nearest  break  in  the  ground  made  by  any  part  of  the  person  of 
the  competitor.  f;].'v.  : 

In  front  of  the  scratch  line  the  ground  shall  be  removed  to  the 
depth  of  three  and  the  width  of  twelve  inches  outward. 

A  foul  jump  shall  be  one  where  the  competitor  in  jumping  off 
the  scratch  line  makes  a  mark  on  the  ground  immediately  in 
front  of  it,  or  runs  over  the  line  without  jumping,  and  shall  count 
as  a  trial  jump  without  result. 

Each  competitor  shall  have  three  trial  jumps,  and  the  best 
three  shall  each  have  three  more  trial  jumps. 

The  competition  shall  be  decided  by  the  best  of  all  the  trial 
jumps  of  the  competitors. 


144  APPENDIX 

The  distance  of  the  run  before  the  scratch  line  shall  be  un- 
limited. 

SEC.  5.  THE  POLE  VAULT. — Poles  shall  be  furnished  by  the 
club  giving  the  games,  but  contestants  may  use  their  private 
poles  if  they  so  desire,  and  no  contestant  shall  be  allowed  to  use 
any  of  these  private  poles,  except  by  the  consent  of  its  owner. 
The  poles  shall  be  unlimited  as  to  size  and  weight,  but  shall  have 
no  assisting  devices,  except  that  they  may  be  wound  or  wrapped 
with  any  substance  for  the  purpose  of  affording  a  firmer  grasp, 
and  may  have  one  prong  at  the  lower  end. 

No  competitor  shall  during  his  vault  raise  the  hand  which  was 
uppermost  when  he  left  the  ground  to  a  higher  point  of  the  pole, 
nor  shall  he  raise  the  hand  which  was  undermost  when  he  left 
the  ground  to  any  point  on  the  pole  above  the  other  hand. 

Any  competitor  who  uses  a  pole  without  a  spike  shall  be 
allowed  to  dig  a  hole  not  more  than  one  foot  in  diameter  at  the 
take-off  in  which  to  plant  his  pole. 

The  rules  governing  the  RUNNING  HIGH  JUMP  shall  also 
govern  the  POLE  VAULT  for  height. 

RULE  XXII.— PUTTING   THE  SHOT 

The  shot  shall  be  a  solid  sphere,  made  of  metal. 

It  shall  be  put  with  one  hand,  and  in  making  the  attempt  it 
shall  be  above  and  not  behind  the  shoulder. 

The  competitor  shall  stand  in  a  circle  seven  feet  in  diameter, 
and  this  circle  shall  be  divided  into  two  halves  by  a  line  drawn 
through  its  centre.  In  the  middle  of  the  circumference  of  the 
front  half  shall  be  placed  a  stop-board  four  feet  long,  four  inches 
high,  and  firmly  fastened  to  the  ground.  In  making  his  puts,  the 
feet  of  the  competitor  may  rest  against,  but  not  on  the  top  of,  this 
board. 

A  fair  put  shall  be  one  in  which  no  part  of  the  person  of  the 
competitor  touches  the  top  of  the  stop-board  or  the  ground  out- 
side the  circle,  and  the  competitor  leaves  the  circle  by  its  rear 
half.  A  put  shall  be  foul  if  any  part  of  the  person  of  the  com- 
petitor touch  the  ground  outside  the  front  half  of  the  circle  before 
the  put  is  measured. 

The  measurement  of  each  put  shall  be  from  the  nearest  mark 
made  by  the  fall  of  the  shot  to  the  circumference  of  the  circle  on 
a  line  from  the  mark  made  by  the  shot  to  the  centre  of  the  circle. 


APPENDIX  [45 

Foul  puts  and  letting  go  the  shot  in  making  an  attempt  shall 
be  counted  as  trial  puts  without  result. 

A  board  similar  to  the  one  in  front  may  be  used  at  the  back 
of  the  circle. 

The  order  of  competing  and  number  of  trials  shall  be  the  same 
as  for  the  Running  Broad  Jump.  Shots  shall  be  furnished  by  the 
Games  Committee.  Any  contestant  may  use  his  private  shot,  if 
correct  in  weight  and  shape  ;  in  which  case  the  other  contestants 
must  also  be  allowed  to  use  it  if  they  wish. 

RULE  XXIV.— THROWING  THE  HAMMER 

The  head  and  handle  may  be  of  any  size,  shape,  and  material, 
provided  that  the  length  of  the  complete  implement  shall  not  be 
more  than  four  feet  and  its  weight  not  less  than  sixteen  pounds. 

The  competitor  may  assume  any  position  he  chooses,  and  use 
either  one  or  both  hands. 

All  throws  shall  be  made  from  a  circle  seven  feet  in  diameter, 
and  this  circle  shall  be  divided  into  two  halves  by  a  line  drawn 
through  its  centre. 

A  fair  throw  shall  be  one  in  which  no  part  of  the  person  of  the 
competitor  touches  the  ground  outside  the  circle,  and  the  com- 
petitor leaves  the  circle  by  its  rear  half.  A  throw  shall  be  foul 
if  any  part  of  the  person  of  the  competitor  touch  the  ground  out- 
side the  front  half  of  the  circle  before  the  throw  is  measured. 

Foul  throws  and  letting  go  of  the  hammer  in  an  attempt  shall 
count  as  trial  throws. 

The  measurement  of  each  throw  shall  be  from  the  nearest  mark 
made  by  the  fall  of  the  head  of  the  hammer  to  the  circumference 
of  the  circle,  on  a  line  from  the  mark  made  by  the  head  of  the 
hammer  to  the  centre  of  the  circle. 

The  number  of  trials  and  methods  of  decision  shall  be  the  same 
as  in  the  Running  Broad  Jump. 

Hammers  shall  be  furnished  by  the  Games  Committee.     Any 
contestant  may  use  his  private  hammer,  if  correct  in  weight  and 
length  ;  in  which  case  the  other  contestants  must  also  be  allowed 
to  use  it  if  they  wish. 
10 


146 


APPENDIX 


INTERCOLLEGIATE    RECORDS    OF    THE    UNITED    STATES 
Corrected  to  May  i,  1896 


Event. 

Record. 

Made  by 

Quarter  mile  run 

W   Baker   Harvard 

W   C   Dohm   Princeton 

G  W  Orton   U   of  Penn 

Mile  walk                        

ic  4-e    " 

H    L   Williams  Yale 

6  ft.        1-2  in. 

G  B  ;  Fearing  Harvard 

(C.  T.  Buchholz,  U.  of  Penn. 

I?e  "       7  1-2    " 

(W.  W.  Hoyt,  Harvard. 
W  O.  Hickok  Yale 

W   O  Hidcok   Yale 

BEST   AMERICAN   AMATEUR   RECORDS 

.      V. 

Corrected  to  May  i,  1896 


Event:  tj'    ' 

Holder. 

Record. 

Wliere  made. 

(John  Owen,  Jr.  .  .  i 

(Washington,  1890. 

22O-yard  dash  

l.tf.  j.  Wefers  J 
B.  J.  Wefers  
W   Baker*  

21  3-5   " 

(New  York,  1895.  , 
New  York,  11895. 
N  Bostatf  •  1886 

C   J    Kilpatrick 

New  York    1805 

a  m.e 

T  P  Conneff 

New  York    1895 

F   P.  Murray  

New  York    1883 

New  York   189? 

J.  L.  Bremer,  Jr... 

24    3-5       (t 

New  York,  1895 

Running  high  jump  .  .  . 

M.  F.  Sweeneyt  .  .  . 
C   S  Reber  

6ft.  '  5.5-8  in. 

New  York,  1895. 
Detroit,  1891 

Throwing  i6-lb.  ham'r 
Putting  i6-lb.  shot  

J.  S.  Mitchell  
G.  R.  Gray  
W  S  Rodenbaugh. 

145  "          3-4   " 
47  " 
„  "      5  3.8   " 

New  York,  1892. 
Chicago,  1893. 
Philadelphia,  1892. 

*  Straightaway,  against  time. 

t  Since  making  triis  record  Mr.  Sweeney  has  become  a  professional. 


APPENDIX 


'47 


B.- 

The 
not  c 


V  m    V 

III 


«.  3  " 

w;     «•••     3 

I »%s 
II! 

lit 

=•;  i. 
I  l£ 

?»3= 

o   a   » 
§  a  S 


§  I* 

5.   o      5 

S|£ 
II  f 

M« 
ffs 

in 


£?  "  ?  - 

rr?& 


E- 

f 


3  s  s- 


0  -«»viw 


V  £  ;r      £  v  r  £  V  £ 


Is 


IS  .*< 


o  ffi 

s  o 

a  r 

o  > 


-     >c 

SP 
S 


s,  » 

^1 

8| 


W  w  ?  W  5« 


^  •          •          o 

f  >  r1  ^  r  -r  3 


^      00   1      0 


14  DAY  USE 

RETURN  TO  DESK  FROM  WHICH  BORROWED 

LOAN  DEPT. 

This  book  is  due  on  the  last  date  stamped  below,  or 

on  the  date  to  which  renewed. 
Renewed  books  are  subject  to  immediate  recall. 


RECEIVED 

OCT26'B6-8AM 

LOAN  DEPT.    1|UN15197089 


EEC'D  LD  M  l  6  70  -I2AM 

131990 


LD  21A-60m-4,'64 
(E4555slO)476B 


General  Library 

University  of  California 

Berkeley 


YC  27485 


U.C.  BERKELEY  LIBRARIES 


CDDbDS3b2fl 


< G  V 

3,76  Z  08        7*1. 


THE  UNIVERSITY  OF 


